Iris
by Moonlight Sonata94
Summary: Chu Ga Eul's a very successful woman and so is So Yi Jung's a very successful man. They've known each other since childhood. One is afraid to fall in love while the other is afraid to get rejected. But what will happen if their emotions get out of hand?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** Boys Over Flowers doesn't belong to me. I own no copyrights over them whatsoever. All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Yes, I actually uploaded this fic a few months back. I deleted it and decided to upload a new one because

I sort of didn't write a disclaimer as some of you might have noticed and

I want to be more organized of my fics. 3

So there. Sorry dear readers if I didn't update this account for months. Here I am again.

I'm going to upload the chapters of Iris until the very end. I actually completed this months ago. It's to compensate all my readers here in . SORRY ALL OF YOU!

And yes, if you're from LU, I'm the Moonlight Sonata from LU. I decided to be active here. Actually, I decided to be active to all my accounts including my social networking accounts. 3

….

A long-haired girl with curly locks stepped out of the Black Mercedes. The sun showed her almost perfect features. She was damn gorgeous. Her eyes were sparkling like the stars in the night sky. Her hair was shining as the sun's rays touched it. Her mouth was curved into a bright smile that can lighten the mood of whoever sees it. Her curves were average. She was not that sort of girl who gained their looks by their body curves but she gained hers by her simplicity. She was perfect. Every boy she meets would want to have her. Yes. But sadly, no one ever does capture her heart. No one.

It's not that she's picky. But all the failed relationships she sees almost every day were not a good help. Her heart refused to be captured. She locked it in a chest and she doesn't even know if she would let anyone have the key.

Many boys didn't want to climb that tree that will lead to her partly because; she's just so high to reach. She's not hard to please. Don't get me wrong. It's just that she has this image of a perfect girl, a perfect bride-to-be that any boy would be afraid that she would have more power over them. Although these cases happen, some boys would be brave enough to climb that tree. She doesn't ignore them, in fact she befriends them. The boys would go flirting with her but she responds with a friendly gesture that she didn't know would lead to all the misunderstandings. An example of this is when someone named Brandon in a conference in New York walked up to her to ask her out on a date. She accepted. After that date, Brandon would send her flowers with poems written on notes every single day. He would also give her chocolates and teddy bears and all those stuffs. He would frequently ask her out on a date and she would sometimes decline. A few months more of that and it became more and more awkward for Ga Eul. It's just horrible when she thinks about it. Ever since that incident, she would limit her response to them but then she realizes after sometime that it will be of no use. She just tries and rides on the idea of those courting stuffs that she didn't want.

When it will go all too far, she would dump them. She dumps boys. Yes. But it doesn't mean that she's mean. Actually, another thing that keeps her uninterested in boys is that she always thinks of them as jerks. They leave girls. They make them cry. Once they're done with their business, they will throw them away like trash. She's stereotyping but then again she can't help it. It's what she sees happening when she's growing up so that's what will stick in her mind.

Moreover in this girl, she's well-known in the business industry. She inherited a family business; The Chu Corporations. Her family owns a lot of restaurants and hotels all around the world. She loves the business. She was raised in this kind of world so she doesn't need to learn the basics. She willingly accepted this obligation so as to not disappoint her whole family. Ever since she was a kid, she never fails obeying them. She's a loving daughter that any parent would want to have.

She graduated from Shinhwa University with straight A's and with a rising popularity. She was quite popular in Shinhwa, mainly because she was a total heartthrob. She didn't want that title. The "girl who makes all boys go gaga". Her popularity also strengthened when she became associated with the F4. She was like a sister to the four of them. But unfortunately, after she graduated, she didn't have any communication with them at all. She kept herself busy. She's a workaholic, I daresay.

She is one amazing girl. The only one…

_Chu Ga Eul._

Ga Eul stands in front of one of her restaurants. _Teardrops of heaven. _Weird name but she likes it. Her taste is weird and she doesn't care about that at all. That day, she was wearing a white sundress that flows freely just below her knees. It was a simple halter dress with fine embroidery of flowers and vines at the bottom. On her feet, she was wearing her white pumps with scattered gems all over it.

She puts her shades up her hair as she locks her car door. She prefers she drives herself to places than have a chauffeur drive her but of course, she calls them in social gatherings. She didn't want to have a bad impression in front of the media. I mean, what kind of a well-known business woman is she if she doesn't have a chauffeur?

She walks to the restaurant's façade. A fountain was built in front of the main door to show its elegance. The door itself is a double door built with expensive glass. She enters and her employees greet her. It was a lovely stress free day so she puts her best smile. Naturally, her male employees drooled over the sight of that gorgeous face and dazzling smile.

"Jae Hin… How is the restaurant going?" Ga Eul politely asked the manager of the restaurant. She walked to the kitchen as the manager follows beside her.

"It's been doing fine Madame Chu. The dishes for testing will be at noon. Three dishes from our three greatest chefs had worked hard for it." Ga Eul nodded as the manager continued informing her.

When the manager finished her last sentence, she bowed and gave her a small smile. "That's good Jae Hin. I'm glad you're doing well. I'll be in my office, okay? Call me when it's time for the testing."

Again, the manager bowed. "Yes Madame."

Ga Eul turned to the direction of her office. She kinda missed this place. She was out in New York the past month to check the restaurants and hotels in there. This place was her favorite among her restaurants. Although she has her own office in each of the restaurants they own, she just loves hanging out in this certain place. It has a different atmosphere that she grew to love. Maybe because… her father loved this place? He did everything to take care of this restaurant. It was actually a gift from his father to his mother in their first year anniversary. But her mother didn't care about it all… _Why does Omma need to be so stupid? _

She sighed and looked at the pile of papers on her desk. There was a note taped onto the folder on the very top of the pile. It said that it was not due until next week. She shrugged and decided to do it some other time. She wants to relax. She got out of the room again and took the table near the counter. Come to think of it, her reason for going to the restaurant so early in the morning is to eat some delicious breakfast served in there. She asked the manager to serve her the pancakes she was craving for.

She took out a book that she's currently reading from her bag. She has a passion for reading. It makes her feel relaxed and her mind to clear up. She flipped open the book into the page where her bookmark is. It was quite a great book. _The Time Traveler's Wife. _It makes her heart soft while she's reading it. She can't imagine a girl having a relationship with a man who wasn't actually beside her all the time because he goes time traveling.

"Excuse me Madame." Ga Eul looked up only to find her pancakes already done. There were three medium sized pancakes. Five peaches formed a circle around the middle and whipped cream was placed in the center. The pancakes were served with peach syrup which was her chef's recipe.

She poured peach syrup to the pancakes. She feels her mouth wanting to taste that delicious meal. Excitedly, she cuts her pancakes with her knife and fork. She opened her mouth, ready to eat the pancake. It was heavenly.

Ga Eul was quietly enjoying her breakfast. The meal was really delicious. She missed that stuff. When she took her last bite of pancake, she heard some loud laughter across her restaurant. Normally, those kinds of things wouldn't bother her but this time, she was curious. It was a familiar laughter. She gazed around to see where that laugh came from. She spotted a group of young men. She couldn't quite make out who the men were so she stood up and took a few steps to that direction.

She widened her eyes and shock was written all over her face.

_Is that…? F4?_

…_.._

If you have the time please do visit my Writer's blog. Just click the Homepage in my profile. 3


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** Boys Over Flowers doesn't belong to me. I own no copyrights over them whatsoever. All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

_Is that…? F4?_

Standing there, Ga Eul can't still believe that her childhood friends were there at her restaurant. Why does she feel like she doesn't want them there? That something will happen after this encounter? She should be happy for seeing them after so long but… Something was just keeping her from being enthusiastic about it.

"Ga Eul-yang?" That familiar voice caught her off guard. She snapped out of her reverie and blinked her eyes a few times. She focused on gaining her composure so she won't look stupid in front of them. Being the businesswoman she was, she easily kept herself cool and shrugged off her shock and thoughts.

Looking back at them, she gave them her prettiest and brightest smile. "Hi." She greeted them with her soft sweet voice.

"Ga Eul? Wow. It really is you. Last thing I heard from the media, you're in New York." Woo Bin stated. "Long time no see, Ga Eul-ah… You really changed a lot. Wow." Woo Bin can't stop himself from looking at her from head to toe. Yes. He perfectly knows that Ga Eul had it in her. He knows she's beautiful but her features have been more pronounced now. He sees her in TV but it's more unbelievable when you see it in real life. The last time they saw her, Ga Eul still has the sweet and innocent look. I mean, she still has the hint of innocence in her face but her womanly figure completely dominated that.

"I just arrived yesterday Woo Bin-ah." She informed him. "Glad to see you here. It's been so long." Her sweet smile still didn't leave her face.

"Well… Ji Hoo ate here a week ago and told us that the food here is exquisite. Later on, we found out that it's your family owns this restaurant. We decided to meet here today… Though, we didn't actually plan to see you here. We just hoped we would."

"And we're so thrilled we did." Yi Jung finished off Woo Bin's explanation smoothly. He too was amazed at Ga Eul's obvious change. Maybe that work of hers made that mature side of her come out. He can't help but drop his jaw once he caught sight of her. He thought he was hallucinating when she saw her standing there, staring at them. At that moment, Yi Jung waited for a minute expecting her to disappear. When he did not, he can't stop himself any longer, he called her name which caused the others to look at the direction he was looking at.

"Come join us Ga Eul-ah." Ji Hoo said as he patted the empty seat beside him.

Hesitantly, Ga Eul accepted. She wants to catch up with them yet she still feels so wrong at that moment. Women's intuition may be? Completely with poise, she walked over to the seat but before she can sit down, Woo Bin stood up and pulled the seat for her. He gave her a bright smile.

"Thank you Woo Bin-ah. Still the gentleman, I see." Ga Eul thanked him as she sat down on the seat. She gazed at the F4's faces. They still have those boyish faces but of course, more mature that the last time she saw them. "So how are you guys?"

"Yah! Ga Eul-ah! You can stop being stiff you know. You can slouch if you want. It's just us." It was Gu Jun Pyo, criticizing her as usual.

She chuckled a little at his statement. It was a nice feeling having the old days back again. "Sorry Jun Pyo but I'm kinda use to this by now. So… again… How are you guys?"

"Well, we're fine. I took over our mafia group." Woo Bin said; again he was the first to answer her.

"Took over the museum." Yi Jung uttered. No. More like mumbled. He was feeling quite uneasy with Woo Bin being this enthusiastic while talking to Ga Eul.

"I run my grandfather's clinic now." Ji Hoo said, calm as usual.

"Of course, I took over Shinhwa Group. I've always been expected to, after all." Jun Pyo bragged. Same old Jun Pyo, arrogant as ever.

"That's nice. I'm glad the four of you have been doing fine." Ga Eul nodded in approval.

"How about you, Ga Eul? You haven't kept in touch with us after graduation. That wasn't very nice." Woo Bin complained.

"I'm fine. Well… I took over our family business. I've been busy. I'm really sorry guys." Ga Eul frowned and looked down. She really was feeling sorry she hasn't contacted them. It was just really hard for her with all those meetings and other stuff.

"No worries, Ga Eul-ah. But really… You should come with us at our gathering tomorrow evening." Ji Hoo invited her.

Ga Eul raised her eyebrow and gave him a quizzical look. "What kind of gathering may that be?"

"Jun Pyo's going to announce his engagement." Ji Hoo plainly replied as if it's no big deal.

"Mwoh?" However, it wasn't like that to Ga Eul. Ga Eul widened her eyes and couldn't hide the amusement in her face. Now, who could that amazing girl be? She really might be a one of a kind girl considering that she tamed the arrogant Shinhwa heir. Gu Jun Pyo doesn't really give attention to girls. In fact, among all four of them, he was the least to notice a girl.

"What the hell is that reaction for?" Jun Pyo questioned.

"Well, Jun Pyo… To tell you the truth, it really is unlike you." Ji Hoo said calmly.

"I got myself interested in that girl. I would love to meet her. I assume that she's different than all the other girls around." Ga Eul inquired.

"You just gave yourself a reason to attend the party. So I take that as a yes?" Woo Bin butts in.

Reluctantly, Ga Eul nodded. She really feels like she has to stay away from them. She made the wrong move. "Where would it be held?"

"Seoul Hotel. Is it okay if I pick you up Ga Eul-ah?" Woo Bin asked her. The other three looked at him, each having a confused face. Ga Eul blinked her eyes; a faint pink slowly appeared on her cheeks. She nodded. She just can't resist the offers of the rich chaebols in front of her. Even if you decline them, they would have their own ways to their persistence. "Silence means yes. So… Pick you up at your mansion by 7 pm?"

Sighing, Ga Eul nodded. She perfectly knows resisting would be of no use. She cleared her throat and tried to divert the conversation into something else. "So… Tell me more about her Jun Pyo. What's her name?"

Jun Pyo's face flushed and his eyes softened. _Okay… I will really congratulate this girl. _Ga Eul made a mental note not to stop teasing Jun Pyo tomorrow evening. Hey, she still is Ga Eul. The businesswoman side of her can go away once in a while. "Geum Jan Di…" Jun Pyo's voice trailed off as he smiled at himself.

"Oh… What a nice name. So how did you meet her?" Ga Eul urged him to go on.

"Yah. Why did the attention suddenly turned to me?" Jun Pyo complained.

Ga Eul cocked her eyebrows and looked at the other three. They were all smiling stupidly at Jun Pyo's sudden change of mood. They know pretty well that Jun Pyo was avoiding the question. "Since Jun Pyo doesn't want to tell the story. I think one of you would be more than willing to tell me what the story is."

"Well... Jan Di kind of bumped into him and then of course Jun Pyo shouted at her. The four of us where passing by Namsam tower. It surprised us when Jan Di shouted back at Jun Pyo. They were both arguing. And then Jan Di suddenly said, 'I don't give a damn if you're the Shinhwa heir! I didn't mean that bumping thing! I said sorry so why can't you just accept that?' And then right there, Jan Di threw her flying kick at Jun Pyo. From there, the rest was history." As expected, it was Woo Bin who answered her. Ga Eul laughed with Woo Bin and Ji Hoo after he finished the story. Yi Jung, for some reason, remained quiet. Jun Pyo, who was being mocked by the three, glared at them and elbowed Woo Bin.

The childhood friends caught up with Ga Eul about random stuffs. They asked her how their business was doing and Ga Eul told them her experiences and such. Again, she said sorry for not being able to contact them. After those, they made fun of Jun Pyo again. They exchanged laughter and jokes. That was not until Ga Eul's secretary, Shin Hee, came to them. "Excuse me Madame Chu." She bowed to her and the F4. "A call is waiting for you in your office. It's one of your clients." She bowed down once again.

Ga Eul nodded and waved her hand to dismiss her. Shin Hee bowed again and retreated. "Excuse me guys. I have some things to attend to." Ga Eul excused herself. "Don't worry. I will still be going tomorrow evening. I'll cancel my appointments by that time. It's nice talking to you guys again. I feel like I'm a teenager once again. Later." Ga Eul smiled and quickly went to the direction of her office.

Once she was out of sight, the four looked at each other with a knowing look pasted on their faces. They have one mind in what happened. _Ga Eul's changed a lot. _The F4, except for Yi Jung, chuckled. Ji Hoo can't help but notice Yi Jung's sudden silence all throughout the encounter with Ga Eul. It was so unlikely of him. It was usually him, Yoon Ji Hoo, who kept silent at conversations. Something's up with Yi Jung. "Yi Jung-ah. Are you okay? You're too quiet."

"Yeah. Yi Jung. What's with your mood today?" Jun Pyo seconded.

"Are your feelings for Ga Eul back then rose again?" Of course, the frank Woo Bin can't help but tease his best friend. "I told you you should have pursued her."

"No… Of course not. It's long gone and it won't ever rise again. I'm concentrated in running the museum. You very well know that." Yi Jung retorted all too quickly.

"Okay then, Yi Jung-ah… If so… I can do it instead, then?"

"What?" Yi Jung suddenly blurted out.

"I want to pursue Ga Eul." It was his plain voice, determined and strong.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** Boys Over Flowers doesn't belong to me. I own no copyrights over them whatsoever. All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

After the encounter with Ga Eul, Woo Bin's words got Yi Jung thinking. It continuously echoed in his mind. He couldn't sleep a wink that night. Even though his eyelids were threatening to close, he took control of it. He didn't know why he was like this. He should be happy that his best friend, at last, was seriously interested in a girl. And he must admit… That girl is the most perfect girl that he ever met. And that girl was also the only girl who has ever captured his heart.

"_Are your feelings for Ga Eul back then rose again?" _Woo Bin's question to him earlier was a puzzle to him too. Is it possible? That his feelings for her came back? Or maybe… it didn't go away. Maybe he just buried the thought of loving her so that it would ease the pain in his heart. The answer to all those questions? He didn't know.

"_I told you you should have pursued her." _That accusation got into him. His heart came throbbing and beating rapidly. He suddenly felt the pain that ache through his heart. As he heard those words, all of the memories of the past suddenly appeared in his mind. He remembered all the times he was admiring her from behind. He remembered following her to her house just to know if she came home safe. He remembered buying her roses during Valentine's Day but he never let her know that it was him who sent it. He remembered everything. He, So Yi Jung, loved her silently.

It was weird that he didn't want her to reciprocate his feelings. He was contented that he sees her everyday. Yes. Sure. Sometimes, he wished that Ga Eul was his. He sometimes hoped that Ga Eul loved him back. But seeing her happy with her life was enough to make him overjoyed.

Ever since that day he admitted to himself that he loves her, his mind was occupied by the thoughts of her. He gave her his heart without her knowing it. Only he, and of course the other F4, knows about it. His best friends knew about it ever since that very day he wants to confess his feelings towards her…

_Flashback :)_

_It was 5 o' clock in the morning. No one is present in school that time. Well… That is… He hopes no one was present at that time._

_Standing beside a certain locker, So Yi Jung was holding an orange colored envelope in his hands. He felt so nervous that his feet shifted from right to left. He was contemplating whether to go ahead with his plan or stay a coward for the rest of his life. He was about to insert it into the slit on her locker when suddenly…_

"_Yi Jung-ah?" It was his best friend, Woo Bin. 'Oh crap… I'm so busted…'_

"_What are you doing here so early in the morning? It's so unlike you." Woo Bin told him with so much curiosity in his voice._

"_Uhm… I…" Before Yi Jung could think of an excuse, Woo Bin quickly snatched the envelope in his hands. "What's this? A letter? For whom?" Woo Bin continuously asked his questions._

"_Give that back, Woo Bin-ah! It's none of your business!" Yi Jung tried to snatch his letter back but Woo Bin pushed him away. That time, Yi Jung wants to punch him so badly but he took control of himself. 'That isn't the right thing to do.'_

"_Hey. What's up with you guys?" Jun Pyo walked over to them, looking from Yi Jung to Woo Bin. Ji Hoo followed from behind him quietly. "What's that you're holding, Woo Bin?"_

"_Beats me." Woo Bin shrugged. "Yi Jung was holding it a few minutes ago and was about to insert it into this lo—" Woo Bin's eyes widen in realization. "Oh no… Don't tell me… Yi Jung…" Woo Bin's face turned from shock to complete amusement._

"_What? Woo Bin? What is it?" Now, Jun Pyo furiously grabbed Woo Bin's arm to get any information from him._

"_Yi Jung's in love with our Ga Eul…" Ji Hoo simply said. The three of them snapped their heads in his direction. Jun Pyo lowered Woo Bin's arm and stared at him in horror._

"_What?" Jun Pyo shouted. He can't believe it. Yi Jung is the least to fall in love in their group, mainly because he was afraid of commitment. Another reason, he is completely focused in his studies. It never occurred to him that Yi Jung will suddenly be involved in the subject of love._

"_Cut the crap guys! So what if I'm in love? I'm still human! Don't make too much of a fuss about it!" Yi Jung shouted angrily. He glared at each one of them and quickly took the paper back in his hands._

"_Who's in love with who?" Unfortunately, to Yi Jung's horror, that all too familiar sweet voice was heard behind him. Yi Jung closed his eyes and mentally reminded himself to punch each of his best friends later. He slowly turned around and opened his eyes. Opening his eyes wasn't of any help. His jaw dropped in an instant when he saw her standing in front of him. She was wearing a dress that fitted her perfectly. It took his breath away in an instant. He didn't even bother to keep himself cool. He just stared at her unknowingly._

"_Uhm… Il Hyun, Yi Jung's brother, is in love with Eun Jae. Yi Jung was telling it to us just now. You remember Eun Jae?" Ji Hoo answered the question for Yi Jung. Knowing Ji Hoo, he very much knows how to deal with situations like this._

"_Oh… Eun Jae… Of course I remember her! She was our playmate during kindergarten." Ga Eul said with her usual cheery voice. "I'm so glad oppa picked her! She's a great girl!" It's normal for Ga Eul to call Il Hyun as her own brother because the F4's are practically like family to her too._

"_Yeah. It is." Ji Hoo gave her a small smile. "Well, Ga Eul, we better get going now. Our professor awaits us in our room."_

"_As if I'll buy that Ji Hoo. You can cancel your classes anytime you want. I very well know that." Ga Eul let out a sarcastic laugh and pouted at him._

_Ji Hoo laughed at her statement. "Seriously Ga Eul… We're going now. Later." Ji Hoo grabbed Jun Pyo and Woo Bin's wrists and led them to the exit. Yi Jung was left there, still dumbstruck at their exchange of words. He sighed. 'I owe you Ji Hoo.'_

"_Aren't you going too, Yi Jung-ah?" Ga Eul asked him, that sweet smile still plastered on her face._

"_Oh yeah. That. I'm going too. Bye Ga Eul." Surprisingly, Yi Jung replied without stuttering._

"_Bye Yi Jung…"_

_Yi Jung walked through the corridors with the crumpled confession in his hands… 'Maybe it's not meant to be.'_

_(: End of Flashback_

As he was recalling that single moment, Yi Jung sighed in frustration. He can't help but think… What if he just inserted that letter without having second thoughts? What if he just took the risk of getting rejected? What if he wasn't a coward and just walked up to her and boldly tells that he loves her? What if he let her knew it was him who was sending those roses and gifts during every occasion you can possibly think of? What will happen? Will Ga Eul tell him she loves him too?

He sighed. He knows it's too late to think about that now. He long forgot those stupid feelings of his. He needs to concentrate on his work. He needs not to entertain any problem that will occur once he set his mind on that certain girl. He looked outside the window. _Aish… That's impossible… Sooner or later this stubborn heart will take over my life._

The sun's rays seeped through his blinds. It's now early in the morning. He knows he will not sleep normally now that Ga Eul's back. His perfect life was now turning upside down… _Damn love. Stop bothering me._


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** Boys Over Flowers doesn't belong to me. I own no copyrights over them whatsoever. All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

It was the night of Jun Pyo's engagement party. Our amazingly gorgeous Chu Ga Eul is in front of the mirror, preparing for the event that evening. She applies light make-up on her face, just enough to enhance her features. After that, she fixed her hair so that it will fall behind her back with perfectly loose curls. Yes, that's another special thing about Ga Eul, she prefers doing things all by herself instead of going to an expensive parlor or having a stylist come her house. It was just impractical if you ask her.

That night, she wore a red halter dress that flowed freely an inch above her knees. The dress hugged her in the right places and gems were scattered at the upper part of the dress. She matched it with gold stilettos with intricate design. Her dress definitely fits the lovely evening.

She finished up by putting on those dangling earrings that was very special to her. That pair of gold earrings very well looks like a lock that is elongated and a diamond was placed in the middle to serve as the keyhole of the lock. She didn't know why but ever since she saw it, she just can't help but be dazzled by it and every time she wears it, she feels relaxed and complete. She feels nothing can possibly go wrong whenever she wears it.

She still recalls when she got she got the hold of those precious things. It was her 18th birthday and she found a small box neatly lay on her bed. Ga Eul sighed. She just wished she knows who gave her those earrings. She felt she has to know who. There's this feeling inside her that that information is necessary in her life.

A ring from her phone broke her out from her reverie. It was Woo Bin.

"Yoboseyo?" She said as she was getting her purse on top of her bed.

"Ga Eul-ah… I'm sorry but I can't pick you up this evening. I'm running late. I have some important matters to attend to." Woo Bin's hurried voice can be heard from the other line.

"Oh… I understand. I'll get my chauffeur to—"

"Oh no… No… That's not necessary Ga Eul-ah… I sent Yi Jung to pick you up. He will be there in..." Woo Bin paused. Ga Eul guessed he might have been looking into his wristwatch. "… right about now."

And then as if on cue, her door bell suddenly rang. "Yup. I think that's him on the door."

"I'm really sorry Ga Eul-ah. I'll just see you there then. I think I'll be there at the venue by 10. Bye!"

"I understand. See you there. Bye." With that, Ga Eul hung up.

Before leaving her room, she checked herself out in the mirror once more. Her door by then opened revealing Shin Hee, her secretary. She bowed and then said. "Madame Chu. Master So Yi Jung has arrived. He's waiting for you in the receiving room."

"Thanks." Ga Eul gave her a smile and a small nod. "By the way… Have you rescheduled my meetings for this evening?"

"Yes Madame. They've been rescheduled next week."

"Okay. You can go now Shin Hee. And just call me Ga Eul… I feel old when you call me Madame." Ga Eul smiled at her again. Shin Hee returned her smile and nodded. She wasn't used to calling her boss by her first name but she needs to obey her wishes.

"Yes Ga Eul."Ga Eul's smile widened and she ran to give Shin Hee a hug.

"Thanks Shin Hee." Ga Eul hugged her again before heading for the door.

She walked elegantly through the corridors of her mansion. Gracefully, she descended down the stairs to the receiving area where Yi Jung was waiting for her. She can see Yi Jung sitting on one of the soft couches on the receiving room. Yi Jung, by the looks of it, was looking through what seemed like a sketch pad. It was just one of the sketch pads that were piled neatly on a magazine rack. Yi Jung was obviously absorbed at the material thing that he didn't notice Ga Eul approaching him.

Stopping just inches behind Yi Jung, Ga Eul let out a fake cough. She quickly plastered that bright smile on her face. Yi Jung gave a slight jump at the sound behind him and he slowly cringe his head around. Once he saw Ga Eul, he stood up in a split second. He fixed his suit and hair quickly before giving her a smile. He kept his cool while Ga Eul giggled slightly.

"You look great tonight, Yi Jung-ah." Ga Eul complimented him.

For a moment, Yi Jung seemed paralyzed and unable to speak. He rummaged his mind for a good response. "You too…" He mentally scolded himself for that stupid reply. It's not his fault Ga Eul was there to bring him to act this way. _Stop acting this way So Yi Jung. It's not cool in front of her. _"Uhm… I saw your sketches. I'm glad you still give time for that passion of yours." He added so as to not give her the impression that he's lost for words which in truth, he actually is.

"Actually, those are years before." Ga Eul informed him sadly. "I haven't got any time… Work took all of my time, you know." Ga Eul continued frowning.

Yi Jung didn't know what to say so he chose not to respond. Luckily, Ga Eul shrugged off that sad thought in her head.

"Yi Jung-ah? Shall we go?" Ga Eul looked at him expectantly with that cute pout forming on her lips.

Yi Jung blinked his eyes at that sight before nodding his in agreement. _Wow… Why did I forget that Ga Eul looks so adorable when pouting… _

Yi Jung held up his hand and Ga Eul gladly took it. Surprisingly, with that touch, Yi Jung and Ga Eul felt an electric jolt run through their body. For a moment there, their hearts skip a beat. It was an unexplainable feeling that somehow made them feel warmth all throughout their bodies. It felt like the jolt reached their souls in many ways it possibly did. Unknowingly, Ga Eul and Yi Jung were locked in each other's gaze and can't think of a way to break it.

Suddenly, Yi Jung's phone began ringing and broke their magical moment. As Yi Jung excused himself to pick up his phone, Ga Eul looked away quickly and tried to stop her heart in beating rapidly. _No… What's this? _It wasn't like the ones she experienced when her skin touched Yi Jung's when they were in their childhood days. Sure, she admits she feels something like this whenever their skins touch but… This time, it was stronger. It was more… powerful. It even made her breathing uneven. This feeling was new to her.

Before Ga Eul can think deeper about what happened, Yi Jung spoke up. "Ga Eul-yang… We really need to go… Jun Pyo just called and he can't stop throwing tantrums at me." Ga Eul nodded her head and slipped her arm inside Yi Jung's. She avoided any skin contact with him to prevent her heart from beating rapidly again.

Both of them walked to Yi Jung's Black Mercedes. Yi Jung opened the car door for her and she smoothly slipped inside. Yi Jung rushed to the driver's side and quickly revved the engine. With that, they sped off.

Inside the car, Ga Eul can't help but put her mind on what happened between the two of them. It was unusual yet it felt so… right.

Yi Jung, on the other hand, took glances at Ga Eul. He also couldn't help but think why that happened earlier. _Did Ga Eul feel it too? _Although he still wants to continue the deafening silence that was occurring inside the car to avoid the topic, he didn't want to give Ga Eul the impression that he was boring so he cleared his throat to speak up. "Ga Eul-yang… How's Omma and Appa?"

Ga Eul knew he was talking about her parents and yet it still surprised her Yi Jung referred to her parents as if it was his own. "They're fine. The usual. Omma's living in New York while Appa's somewhere here in Korea." Ga Eul shrugged. "I can't explain it but I like the way it is now. Back then, I don't like the idea of them living separately but right now… I think it's for the best."

Yi Jung frowned to show his sympathy. He perfectly knows what Ga Eul feels because he was also experiencing that kind of family problem so he never failed reminding her that. "I know how that feels Ga Eul-yang… I'm also thankful my Omma and Appa are living separately. It's just hard for me to witness they're everyday bickering."

Ga Eul gave him a weak smile before turning her face outside again. Yi Jung took a quick glance at her and saw a familiar looking earring. "Ga Eul… Your earrings look nice." He can't help but say.

Ga Eul turned to him again and her hand involuntarily touched the earring on her right ear. "Yeah… These are my favorite ones. Although, I didn't have the chance to thank the one who gave me these…" Ga Eul's bright smile turned upside down as she told him her last statement.

Yi Jung also frowned upon seeing her frown. He sighed. His mind is playing with those "what if" questions again.

A few more minutes, Yi Jung pulled over the car to the parking lot. He turned off the engine and quickly stepped out of the car so that he can open the door for Ga Eul. This time, he readily held up his hand. Fortunately, their touch didn't have that much impact on him because he was kind of ready for that contact.

As they opened the door to the ball room, pairs of eyes turn to see them. With their chin up, they made their way to where Jun Pyo and the others were. Before Ga Eul and Yi Jung can even greet them, Gu Jun Hee, Jun Pyo's very lively sister, ran over to them dragging a girl with her. She dropped the girl's hand and automatically hugged Ga Eul tightly and squealed. Yi Jung, seeing Jun Hee welcoming Ga Eul, took his seat beside Ji Hoo.

"Ga Eul-ah! I really missed you!" Jun Hee let go of her and looked at her from head to toe. "Wow… You've changed a lot." Jun Hee flashed a smile at her.

"I've been told Unnie. I missed you too." Ga Eul returned her smile with an equally bright one. "How are you? And may I know the name of the girl behind you?" Ga Eul tilted her head to get a better look of the girl behind Jun Hee.

"Oh! Yes! Right…" Jun Hee looked from the girl to Ga Eul. "Ga Eul-ah… Meet Geum Jan Di, Jun Pyo's fiancée. Jan Di-ah… Meet Chu Ga Eul, she's like a part of our family."

"Hi Jan Di-ah. Call me Ga Eul." Ga Eul stepped forward and hugged her.

Jan Di was surprised at her friendly gesture but she managed to reply. "Hello. It's nice meeting you Ga Eul."

Ga Eul let go of Jan Di and gave Jan Di her brightest smile. "I've heard a lot about you Jan Di-ah. And I must say… you really amazed me." Ga Eul said.

"Mwoh?" Jan Di's eyes widened in confusion.

Ga Eul chuckled at Jan Di's reaction. Somehow, she finds it amusing. "I very well know that taming an arrogant Jun Pyo is an impossible task but you proved me wrong."

It was Jan Di's turn to chuckle at her statement. "I found out giving him a kick in the head will do the trick." Jan Di winked at her and chuckled again. Ga Eul immediately felt comfortable at her presence. It's like they're instant friends.

As they walked to the table, Ga Eul asked Jan Di more about how her relationship with Jun Pyo started. Jun Hee also joined their conversation. Ga Eul felt like she was a teenager again. She never felt a 'best friend' telling secrets about her boy friend or something. She never had a girl best friend. She only had the F4 all of her school life. Most girls just talk to her because of the F4 so she doesn't consider them as friends.

"I remember Jun Pyo swearing that he will never ever fall in love with girls in his entire life. He was five years old then. He believed girls are dirty and they have cooties. Well of course, me, Seo Hyun and Unnie are an exception to that. That was what Jun Pyo told us anyway." Ga Eul chuckled again as she remembered the old times. The three of them were still talking and getting to know each other. Well, that was in Ga Eul and Jan Di's case but it wasn't that hard. They felt like they were friends their whole life. Ga Eul thought that there was something in Jan Di that makes her believe that she was one of a kind of girl. Jan Di wasn't that type that only likes money from Jun Pyo's family.

"Really? Gu Jun Pyo, until now, really acts like a child. I think he will never get mature." Jan Di said.

"Yeah. That stupid brother of mine really is childish most of the time. So Jan Di… Good luck with Jun Pyo. I believe you can change that immature side of him." Jun Hee told Jan Di.

Jun Pyo was seated just in front of them so he can perfectly hear everything they were talking about. He continuously shot daggers at them but to his dismay, it didn't affect them the slightest bit. Jan Di, Jun Hee and Ga Eul were the three girls that can make Jun Pyo and the other F3 behave with just a single move; a flying kick from Jan Di, a whack on the head from Jun Hee and back then, a punch from Ga Eul.

"From now on Jan Di, consider me as your close friend." Ga Eul declared.

Jan Di smiled at her and nodded. "In that case, consider me one of yours too."

"Yah! Jan Di-ah. Let's dance." Jan Di was about to protest because she was still talking to Ga Eul and Jun Hee but Jun Pyo already dragged her to the middle of the dance floor.

Jun Hee and Ga Eul laughed at the two. They really are good for each other. "I really like Jan Di for Jun Pyo." Jun Hee suddenly said.

"Me too." Ga Eul agreed. "It's a good thing Omma agreed with that." Ga Eul was referring to Jun Hee and Jun Pyo's mother.

"Yeah. I thought it was impossible for her to finally agree but those two are inseparable. No matter what Omma does, they found their way in each other's arms." Jun Hee smiled at the thought. Her brother found his true love unlike her.

Ga Eul, on the other hand, kept wondering if there is such a thing as true love. Before she can think any further, her thoughts were, once again, interrupted. "May I have this dance?"

She looked up and saw Woo Bin smiling at her, holding up his hand. Ga Eul nodded and took his hand. They walked hand in hand as Woo Bin took her to the dance floor. Once they settled in a comfortable spot, Ga Eul's right hand rested on Woo Bin's shoulder while Woo Bin's left hand rested on the small of her back. They held up they're other arms and with that, they swayed with the music.

Unknowingly to them, a pair of eyes was closely watching them. He can't help but feel that aching feeling in his heart. He wants to look away but he can't bring himself to it. He wished he was the one in Woo Bin's place. _Pabo, Yi Jung… If only you asked her to dance first._


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** Boys Over Flowers doesn't belong to me. I own no copyrights over them whatsoever. All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

It's been half an hour now… Woo Bin and Ga Eul were still dancing on the dance floor. Not noticing the time, they enjoyed themselves with the company of one another. They spent their time telling stories and jokes that would make them laugh once in a while.

Although Woo Bin was obviously flirting with Ga Eul, she didn't take it as 'flirting'. She didn't actually know how one would know that someone was flirting with him/her. She thought that Woo Bin was only being friendly because they haven't seen each other for years and didn't quite had the time to catch up more in Ga Eul's restaurant.

On the other hand, someone from afar was still staring at them during those horrible 30 minutes. He wants to stand up on his seat and ask Ga Eul to dance with him. He didn't dare do it, though. Woo Bin really looks like he doesn't want to let go of Ga Eul the whole night and anyone who would disturb their moment together will feel the wrath of Song Woo Bin. He sighed. What was he supposed to do? Would he continue staring at them even though every minute that pass would stab his heart? Or would he just go home even though he knows Jan Di will kill him for leaving so early? He contemplated on what to do. He still wants to know what Ga Eul and Woo Bin will do but finally he chose the latter. It's no use staring at them. By the time the night ended, he would be dead from heart break.

Yi Jung stood up from his seat. It was warm because he didn't leave it since he arrived at the party. He searched for Jan Di or Jun Pyo so that he can bid farewell but he couldn't see them. He roamed around the whole hall. He saw Ji Hoo on a couch just on the corner of the hall, sleeping. Seriously, Ji Hoo can't stop sleeping even if he's in a party. Then, he saw Jun Hee talking with the other guests. He walked some more. He decided to go to the buffet table. Jan Di must be there. Yi Jung perfectly knows that Jan Di was a fan of the chocolate fountain.

Before he could go any further, he took one more glance at Ga Eul and Woo Bin's direction. He shook his head and looked down on his feet. _Stop it Yi Jung… Just be happy for Woo Bin._

He sighed and continued walking to the buffet table. At last, he saw Jun Pyo and Jan Di. It was the usual sight. The couple, even from afar, was obviously bickering about something.

"You really are stupid, Gu Jun Pyo!" Yi Jung can hear Jan DI shouting.

"Mwoh? Hey! Laundry girl! You—" Jun Pyo was about to retort something back but Yi Jung broke him off. He didn't want to witness another bickering from them.

"Jan Di… Jun Pyo… I'm going to leave now. I have some important matters to attend to." Yi Jung casually lied.

"What? Even more important than your best friend's engagement party?" Jun Pyo blurted out. Surprisingly, Jan Di didn't look angry. She even elbowed her fiancé to stop him from shouting more.

"It's okay, Yi Jung-ah. Good luck on whatever that is." Jan Di said calmly.

"Thank you, Jan Di-ah. Congratulations to you two, again." Yi Jung let out a weak smile. "Or do you prefer good luck on your hellish life, Jan Di-ah?" Yi Jung added. He can't help but tease Jun Pyo.

Jan Di chuckled while Jun Pyo glared menacingly at him. Yi Jung waved his hand to end the conversation. He turned around and walked away. Once he did, his smile earlier turned upside down. His beating heart throbbed as he walked farther away.

:) :) :) :) :P

Ga Eul noticed Yi Jung leaving his seat with his dejected face. She can't help but feel hurt as soon as she saw it. Why is she feeling that way? _May be because he's a friend of mine… _She glanced from around the room of a sign of him but to her dismay, she can't find him anywhere. She sighed. _May be he's outside or something… I should ask him why he's sad later…_

Still at the dance floor, Ga Eul can feel her feet aching from standing too long. Although she didn't want to be rude to Woo Bin, she finally decided to tell him that she wants to sit down. "Woo Bin-ah… Can we take a rest for a while?" She gave him his sweet smile.

Woo Bin gazed at her face. Her smile really is the brightest he has ever seen in his life. Her eyes really sparkled like the stars in the midnight sky. "Woo Bin-ah?"

Woo Bin broke out from his trance and turned to face Ga Eul. He felt ashamed that she saw him staring at her. "What is it again, Ga Eul-ah?" He asked her sweetly.

"Can we take a rest for a while?" Ga Eul's voice sounded pleading. _Maybe her feet hurt…_

Woo Bin eventually nodded. He took her hand to guide her to their table. As soon as they got there, Ga Eul sat down on the chair and leaned over to rub her feet. It felt swollen. "Are you okay Ga Eul-ah?" Woo Bin asked worriedly.

"It's fine…" Ga Eul tried hard not to wince from pain. She removed her hands from her feet and looked at him with an assured smile.

"Okay… Would you care for a drink?" Woo Bin offered.

"Uhm… Okay… Thanks." Ga Eul has to admit. She does feel thirsty from all the dancing.

Woo Bin let out a soft smile before finally turning around to the buffet table. Ga Eul sighed. She feels like Woo Bin is acting weird around her. He isn't usually like this to her. He doesn't give attention to her this much when they were kids. It was usually Yi Jung who talks to her and jokes around her… It was always Yi Jung who has been there for her when she cries. Yi Jung is the closest best friend to her among the F4. It was always him… Speaking of Yi Jung… Where is he?

She got out from her seat and looked around. She really needs to know why her best friend was like that. It got her curious. Back to the old days, Yi Jung would immediately tell her if something was wrong but… she guessed it was different now. After years of no communication, it would definitely change. But it saddened her that it wasn't the same anymore. It also saddened her that Yi Jung didn't even bother to ask her to dance. She didn't know why but... it felt wrong being with Woo Bin. She gazed at the dance floor but he wasn't there. She saw Ji Hoo lying on a couch, probably sleeping. She didn't know where to find him around that large hall so she went back to their table.

When she got to her seat once again, Woo Bin came holding two glasses of punch. "Here, take this, Ga Eul." He smiled while giving her the glass.

Ga Eul took it and rewarded him with a smile. She gulped it down quickly and turned to Woo Bin once again. "Woo Bin-ah… I need to go home now…"

"Okay then… I'll drive you home…"

"Oh no… I already called my chauffeur to pick me up." Ga Eul smoothly lied. She desperately wanted to get out of there. She didn't know why. She feels she needs to. _Augh… Why am I feeling weird tonight? _Seriously, she needs to get her mind intact. This isn't the usual her. _Keep cool Ga Eul… Keep cool._

"I'll tell him I'll drive you home…" Woo Bin insisted. He really is very persistent.

"No... That isn't necessary Woo Bin-ah…" Ga Eul told him. She gave him her smile that makes his heart melt.

Woo Bin couldn't resist that face so he reluctantly agreed. "Okay then… But I have to give you something first." Ga Eul raised her eyebrow. Woo Bin's going to give her something? But what? Before she could even ask him, Woo Bin held up a box. "This is why I'm late this evening and couldn't pick you up. I hope this makes up for it."

"Oh no. Woo Bin-ah… It really is okay you didn't pick me up… You shouldn't have." Ga Eul shoved the box away. But Woo Bin took her hand gently and placed the box on top of it.

"Open it, Ga Eul…" Woo Bin looked at her expectantly. Ga Eul sighed and did what she is told to do. Once opened, she widened her eyes at what was inside. It was beautiful… and it looks… familiar. Unconsciously, her hands traveled to her earrings. Is this what she thinks it is?

"Woo Bin-ah… Are you… Did you…" Ga Eul stuttered with every word she said. Is Woo Bin the one who gave her the earrings?

Woo Bin just smiled at her and took the necklace in the box. He walked over behind Ga Eul and put the necklace around her neck. It suits her favorite earrings perfectly. "I heard that those are your favorite pair of earrings so I got something like those made for you as a necklace."

"Did you give me these earrings Woo Bin-ah?" Ga Eul blurted, ignoring Woo Bin's explanation.

"What?" Woo Bin gave her a shock expression. It was only what Ga Eul needs to see to confirm her rising curiosity. _So it wasn't Woo Bin… _Her delighted expression turned into a sad one.

"Thanks Woo Bin-ah… But why are you giving me this?" Ga Eul looked directly into his eyes.

"Nothing… Hey… I missed you, Ga Eul… It's been years… So I decided to give you that." Woo Bin looked away from her gaze.

"Oh…" Ga Eul paused, thinking. She failed to notice Woo Bin's white lie. And then, she finally added. "I can't always wear this though."

Woo Bin didn't hesitate to show a disappointed face. He thought Ga Eul would appreciate it like those pair of earrings. Ga Eul noticed his sudden change of mood and she felt guilty. "Don't worry though. I like it. It really is nice."

_But it isn't as special as these earrings…_

:) :) :) :) :P

Still with the pained expression, Yi Jung walked into his studio. He placed his neat coat on the coat rack and took a few steps to a certain clay sculpture. It was shaped like an angel. He clearly remembers the time it was made. It was when he was eighteen. The sculpture was a gift on his birthday from a very special girl. Ga Eul took the time to make it for him.

It was simple and it wasn't that perfect but he loved it. It was the best gift he has ever received. He recalled that Ga Eul ordered him not to go inside his studio for a week. She said that if she sees him near it, she wouldn't talk to him, ever.

Yi Jung smiled as he remembered her face that day. She gave him that incredibly adorable pout the whole day until he finally agrees. It was a burden for him the week after that day. He was completely anxious on what Ga Eul has in store for him. After that week, Ga Eul didn't show him anything though. And that completely depressed him. He really thought that she was going to give him something that time but she didn't.

Well, that was what he thought until his birthday came. Ga Eul woke him up at exactly midnight of his birthday.

"_You thought I won't give you anything, didn't you? Silly! Here… That angel is me! I'll always be there for you like your guardian angel. And also consider this as a sign of my gratitude. You've always been my angel, Yi Jung-ah… Thank you! And happy birthday, brat!"_

Looking at the angel sculpture she gave him, you can't miss the necklace the angel was wearing. It was a necklace with a ring as a pendant. Yi Jung took the ring in his hands. The ring was a white gold ring with little sparkling diamonds all around it. And when you look at the ring closely, a gold key was carved beneath it. A key and words that says…

_Unlock your heart._

As he read it, the tears that were threatening to flow from his eyes slowly poured down on his cheeks…


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer:** Boys Over Flowers doesn't belong to me. I own no copyrights over them whatsoever. All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Ga Eul left the hotel after she bid goodbye to everyone at the party. Woo Bin was reluctant to let her go but Ga Eul already called her chauffeur to come and pick her up. Well, that was what she said to Woo Bin. Actually, she called her driver to bring her Pink Porsche to the hotel's parking lot. She felt the need to go somewhere relaxing or something. Something's bothering her. She doesn't know what it is and she needs to find it out right now. These things don't usually happen to Ga Eul. Usually, her mind only thinks of one thing, _work. _

Ga Eul went outside and her chauffeur approached her with a bow. She nodded her head and smiled at him kindly. Her chauffeur led her to her car and gave her the keys. "You may go now." Ga Eul said with her sweet voice as her chauffeur bowed once again.

Ga Eul slipped inside her car and immediately revved the engine. As she sped off, she puts her phone's mouthpiece on her and dialed an awfully familiar number. There's only one person who can make her feel at ease at the moment. And that person is So Yi Jung, her best friend.

Ga Eul raised her eyebrow as Yi Jung's phone kept ringing. Usually, Yi Jung will answer on the first or second ring. Finally, on the fifth ring, Yi Jung picked up.

"Yoboseyo?" Came Yi Jung's voice from the other line but it was somewhat husky compared to Yi Jung's normal voice.

Despite knowing that something is definitely wrong with Yi Jung, Ga Eul ignored it as she turns her car to the direction of Yi Jung's studio. She feels Yi Jung is there. No. She _knows _Yi Jung is there. "Yi Jung-ah, where are you?"

Ga Eul can hear some shifting from the other line and then Yi Jung spoke up, now, with his normal voice. "I'm at my studio. Why? I didn't know you switched numbers Ga Eul-yang." Yi Jung replied casually. He didn't want Ga Eul to know that he was in the middle of crying. _Ha! Bingo, I knew he was in his studio._ All her life, she knew his studio is the best place to find Yi Jung if he's gone missing.

"Nothing. Just wanted to know where you are. You left early at the party. You busy?" Ga Eul answered as she pulled over beside Yi Jung's studio. _Gosh… How I miss this place…_

"Well, now? Nope. But I am busy earlier. I need to fix some things for the museum so I had to leave." Yi Jung explained as Ga Eul heard some sniffing from him. Ga Eul scowled even though she knows Yi Jung can't see her face. _He's lying. He's a bad liar, that Yi Jung._

"Oh? Okay… So what are you doing now?" Ga Eul turned off her engine and opened her door to go outside. She slowly walked over to his studio's door, taking her time while talking to him.

"Uhm…" Yi Jung paused, obviously thinking of another lame lie. "I'm kind of doing some pots right now. Would you mind if I call you later?"

"Nah. No need." Ga Eul said as she opened the door revealing a pale Yi Jung sitting on a bench. She hung up the phone and slowly took steps forward. "Hey."

Oblivious to the fact that the girl he's talking to a while ago just went inside his studio, Yi Jung looked up. His face immediately turned paler if it's even possible and his eyes wider. He blinked his eyes a few more times before taking in that Ga Eul is, indeed, right in front of him. "So… What's up?" Ga Eul let out a soft smile. "Have you been crying, Yi Jung-ah?" Ga Eul stopped midway in her tracks and looked at his broken face. She cocked her eyebrow and gave him a look that says 'Explain now.'

"Is the party over? Why are you here?" Trying to divert the subject, Yi Jung said helplessly, his voice stuttering. Ga Eul just smiled at him and walked over to his side. She sat down next to him and linked her arms into his. She leaned her head on his shoulder. Ga Eul was used to doing this with Yi Jung. When Ga Eul knows that something's wrong with Yi Jung or when something's wrong with her, she would immediately do this thing to let him know that she's there for him or she needs some comforting. Right now, it's a little bit of both. Back then, Ga Eul and Yi Jung were so used to this that they would immediately feel comforted but it was different now. After years of being separated, it's kind of awkward for the both of them. But Ga Eul, knowing that he badly needs her and she needs him, shrugged off the awkwardness and just stayed like that.

Sighing, Yi Jung thought about how he misses these kinds of moments with Ga Eul. He knows there's no escaping this. When Ga Eul do this, it means she will wait for him to talk no matter how long. Yi Jung felt defeated and let out another sigh. "Okay… Fine… I'll spill." Yi Jung said stubbornly and then, his face softened as he took a deep breath. "I just miss you, Ga Eul, that's all. And well… I kind of felt jealous when you were with Woo Bin all night." Yi Jung said truthfully. He knows Ga Eul wouldn't buy his lies. He badly hopes Ga Eul would not think that he's desperate or something. "I'm your best friend too, you know! The closest one, in fact. And I didn't even have the chance to have a nice conversation with you? Isn't that kind of… disappointing?" Yi Jung chuckled softly. Ga Eul lifted her head up and turned to look at him. She gazed at those chocolate brown orbs and there's no hint of a lie in his eyes. Her face lit up and she chuckled in amusement.

"Yeah… I guess… I actually thought you would dance with me, you know." Ga Eul chuckled some more. "And it's your fault! You didn't even mutter a single word when we had that conversation on my restaurant." Ga Eul said accusingly.

Yi Jung just gave her a wry smile and let out a sigh. "Yeah…" He agreed.

Ga Eul went back to being serious as she noticed Yi Jung's sudden change of mood. "Don't worry, though. I missed you a lot too." She gave him that genuine smile.

Yi Jung looked at her face and leaned his head on her shoulders. "Why did you distance from us, Ga Eul-yang? I don't think that work is the main reason."

Of course, Yi Jung also knows Ga Eul well. Both of them can practically see through each other. Feeling weak at the moment, Ga Eul didn't keep her guard on. If she shrugs off the thought back then, right now, she feels the need to let it all out. Ga Eul's face suddenly twinged as she recalled all her struggles to have that calm life she now has. She felt a sudden pang of pain that she tried so hard to keep all those years. She felt all those mixed emotions at once as Yi Jung's question came wringing in her ears; fear, guilt, sadness, hatred, loneliness.

Ga Eul didn't notice that her emotions and feelings went out through her eyes. The tears she wants to hide from Yi Jung ran down her cheeks. Yi Jung didn't fail to notice how hurt Ga Eul was. He didn't know why she was like this but he definitely knows that this isn't the right time to push her into answering him so he brought her face to his chest… Yes… Like the old days… Just like when they were little kids though the reasons are not the same. Back then, they cry because of some little things like scraping their knee, being hit by the ball, but now, they cry because they struggle to survive in this unfair and cruel world before them.

"Shh… Ga Eul-yang… If you don't want to answer my question, I'm fine with that… Just let all the tears out… You know I'm here." Yi Jung soothed her and ran his right hand on her back and his left hand tightening the grip on her hand. Sobbing, Ga Eul stayed quiet and the tears continued flowing freely from her eyes.

They stayed like that. Best friends. It suits them well. They know each other since they were in diapers. They spent fun and rough times together. They know secrets about each other. One can tell if the other is lying or not. They can practically read each other's minds. When Ga Eul is getting bullied by some kids, Yi Jung is the one to save her. When Yi Jung needs some relaxation, Ga Eul's there to accompany him wherever he wants to go. They were so close that the F3 took the time teasing them in high school. They were just inseparable. Like brother and sister. Like best friends. And… like lovers? They do love each other; they once say those three-lettered words everyday when they were kids but when some kids began teasing them, they stopped. But those mere words they meant are just because they love each other as a friend. As a brother or a sister. Chu Ga Eul and So Yi Jung. Loving each other as something beyond that didn't even cross their minds. Well, in Ga Eul's case, she didn't.

In actuality, the both of them didn't even know why they're that close. It's just like that. _Bam. _Yes, there's the other three; Woo Bin, Jun Pyo and Ji Hoo, but Ga Eul didn't get to be close to them like she is to Yi Jung. Maybe it's the fact that they nearly have the same family background? Maybe that's it… But what if it's their very souls that led them to each other?

After a few more minutes, Yi Jung can feel Ga Eul's uneven breathing on his chest. Ga Eul stopped crying and closed her eyes. She locked her arms around Yi Jung's waist. With that gesture, Yi Jung felt himself shiver but he chose to ignore that fact. He savored that moment. Ga Eul hugging him tight like he's the cuddliest thing in the world and him hugging her back like in his dreams.

But that moment just needed to end, Ga Eul pulled back from the hug and sniffed. She turned to look at Yi Jung's face as she scrunches up her nose. She let out a soft but genuine smile. "Thank you, Yi Jung-ah… I especially missed those…" Her right hand traveled to Yi Jung's nose and she pinched it gently.

It was Yi Jung's turn to scrunch up his nose. He let out a soft laugh and gave him that dimpled smile. Ga Eul can't help but adore Yi Jung's cuteness. It was like when he was a child, giving a delighted face. With that, Ga Eul noticed her heart beating rapidly as she locked herself in Yi Jung's eyes. She searched for any answers in his brown orbs but she can't find any. It's as if this feeling is new to her that she didn't know what to call it. She was about to ask Yi Jung if he's feeling something different but he spoke up. "You want Choco Truffle Cake? It's still is your favorite, right?" Yi Jung asked her, still having that smile on his face.

Ga Eul chuckled, letting all those troubling thoughts gone in an instant. She was going to find it out but not now. Soon. "Yeah. It still is my favorite."

Yi Jung knows that Ga Eul wants some sweets when she's depressed and Ga Eul's glad he still remembers that detail. "Mango Apple Shake?"

"Yup. I want that too." Ga Eul replied wholeheartedly as her face finally lit up fully, taking the hint of sadness away.

"Hey… By the way… Why did you go here all of the sudden?" Yi Jung asked as he throws in mangoes and apples in the blender. He was now inside his kitchen, preparing the shake for Ga Eul.

"Oh that… Well, Woo Bin's bothering me. He's nice to me. It's kind of weird. I'm not used to it, Jung-ah." Ga Eul admitted.

"Oh…" Yi Jung frowned at the mention of Woo Bin's name. He recalled Woo Bin's words inside his head, _"I want to pursue Ga Eul."_

"He even gave me a necklace and it's an exact copy of my favorite earrings. I mean… Wow… What's with Woo Bin?" Ga Eul continued. With that information, Yi Jung coughed a little. _Woo Bin did what?_

"Oh…" Yi Jung paused and pressed the button of the blender. "Don't you like him?"

Ga Eul raised her eyebrow and laughed. It was Yi Jung's turn to raise his eyebrow now. _Why did she laugh like that? _Seeing Yi Jung's serious face, Ga Eul stopped laughing. "Oh, you're serious?" Ga Eul blinked her eyes and smile. "Of course not Yi Jung-ah! I like him as a friend and a brother. But seriously, nothing beyond that. I never thought of him more than that and you very well know that."

Yi Jung shrugged and poured the blended shake to two tall glasses. "Well, maybe those years changed you. I don't know. So you're still not interested in boys?"

That question caught Ga Eul off guard. A picture of her and Yi Jung hand in hand suddenly flashed in her mind. She shook her head and blinked her eyes furiously. _Why did I just think of that? Uh? _"Ga Eul-yang?" Her silence made Yi Jung look at her and stop what he was doing.

"Uhm… No…" Ga Eul said slowly. Yi Jung looked at her and just ignored her lie. It's no use in pushing the subject. He knows he would feel some jealousy inside him.

Yi Jung walked over to her and placed the tray he was holding on top of the table. Ga Eul immediately took a glass and sipped on her straw. "Hey Yi Jung-ah…" Ga Eul started softly.

"Hmm?" Yi Jung looked at her expectantly, sipping his own shake.

"Can I stay for the night?"

_Mwoh?_


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer:** Boys Over Flowers doesn't belong to me. I own no copyrights over them whatsoever. All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

_The best thing about tonight's that we're not fighting  
>Could it be that we have been this way before<br>I know you don't think that I am trying  
>I know you're wearing thin down to the core<em>

"Mwoh?" Yi Jung blurts out and spits some of his shake in the process. Ga Eul just looked at him as if nothing's wrong. She stayed calm and waited for Yi Jung's answer. She listens to him intently as Yi Jung speaks up. "But… but… Ga Eul!"

Ga Eul urges him to go on by raising her right eyebrow while continuously sipping her shake. She knows she will win this small argument with Yi Jung. Ha! Yi Jung's weakness, her pout and puppy eyes. She didn't know why she remembers everything about them all of the sudden but she likes it. She likes the feeling that she still knows Yi Jung that well.

When Yi Jung just gave her a meaningful look, she smiles and decides to use her deadly weapons. "C'mon Jung-ah… Please. It's not like I don't stay here when we were little, right? I remember when we were seven, I sleep here almost everyday." Then, she uses her pout gun and puppy eyes knife.

Scowling, Yi Jung crosses his arms and looks away at her. "That's not going to work Ga Eul-yang and we're not 7 anymore. We're 23 and besides, you can't sleep wearing a dress." He turns to look at her and points at her dress.

Yi Jung then realizes that he made the wrong move. She was still pouting and wearing that puppy eyes on her face. Sighing, Yi Jung frowned in defeat as Ga Eul smiled triumphantly. Well, actually, Ga Eul didn't know why she wants to spend the night in Yi Jung's place. She just wants to. No questions asked. That's that.

Obviously, the awkwardness between them disappeared. It was like they didn't even get separated. Like the old days, they acted normally towards one another without feeling like they need to show their best. They can slouch if they want. They can even laugh loudly until they roll over the floor if they want. Chu Ga Eul's not the business lady tonight and Yi Jung's not the busy professional potter. They're just plain Chu Ga Eul and So Yi Jung, searching for comfort and happiness.

Ga Eul slurps her shake while smiling widely at Yi Jung. He still had that scowl on his face as he slurps his own shake. "Thanks Jung-ah." Ga Eul said after she finished off her shake. She leans forward to hug him.

_But hold your breath  
>Because tonight will be the night<br>That I will fall for you  
>Over again<br>Don't make me change my mind  
>Or I won't live to see another day<br>I swear it's true  
>Because a girl like you is impossible to find<br>You're impossible to find_

Yi Jung was startled at her gesture. He didn't expect Ga Eul to do that. It was so sudden so he just froze in place and didn't have the chance to return her hug. Not noticing that, Ga Eul looks like she didn't mind as she takes off her stilettos.

Yi Jung was still staring blankly into nothingness when Ga Eul turned to look at him. She cocked her eyebrows and tilted her head once she sat back up again. "Yi Jung?"

With the sound of her voice, Yi Jung snapped back to reality and quickly put his mug to his mouth. "Hmm?" He mumbled.

"Uh, nothing… I'll go to your room to change into something comfortable. This dress is killing me." Ga Eul informed him as she stood up with her shoes and walked to the direction of the door to Yi Jung's house barefooted. Before Ga Eul could turn the doorknob, she turned around and faced Yi Jung. "Oh, bring the Choco Truffle Cake inside, please. I want to eat." She smiled sweetly then went inside. Yi Jung just nodded robotically.

Yi Jung was beginning to feel something inside him stir. That long forgotten feelings seem to rise again. As he imagined Ga Eul's perfect face, he can't help but feel butterflies in his stomach. Is this it? Is cupid striking him with his arrow once more? Is destiny playing with him again? Is love making his heart beat again? Sighing, he knew this would happen. He knew his damn heart will take control of his life again. He can accept that fact for he can do nothing about it but tonight, he silently prayed and hoped that he can fight his feelings and act like nothing's wrong in front of Ga Eul. He wished he can take control of his feelings and not let it overpower him. For the sake of Ga Eul… For the sake of their precious friendship… Again, he will love her silently tonight. Just for tonight, he won't let his heart and mind debate.

_This is not what I intended  
>I always swore to you I'd never fall apart<br>You always thought that I was stronger  
>I may have failed but I have loved you from the start<em>

Again, he let out a sigh and stood up. He fixed the empty glasses of shake and put it on top of the tray. He picks up the tray and walks over to the counter to put it down. He thought the maids will clean it up when they see it. He remembered Ga Eul's cake so he walked over to the fridge to get it. Once he got the hold of it, he sighed once more. Collecting himself, he bravely walked to the door as he fully accepted the battle that will soon begin; the battle between his superego and id.

Meanwhile, in Yi Jung's room, Ga Eul was busy looking for a set of clothes to wear. She rummaged his closet from his polo shirts to T- shirts. Finally, she had no choice and settled for an extremely large white long-sleeved polo shirt that ends in between her thighs. It was like a dress to her but she still finds it uncomfortable not to wear shorts. It's a good thing she wears her cycling shorts everytime she wears a dress though her shorts can't actually be seen with Yi Jung's long polo shirt.

When Ga Eul's finally convinced that she looks okay, she drapes her dress on Yi Jung's chair near his bed. She looked around Yi Jung's room. It's still the same room she has been in years ago; white and clean. Although, she noticed that Yi Jung added some paintings around his room. There are about ten pictures in his large room; two pictures are Yi Jung with the F4, two are Yi Jung with his brother, Il Hyun, one is Yi Jung with Il Hyun and Eun Jae, the other five is Yi Jung with Ga Eul. Ga Eul raised her eyebrow and thought, _why are there more photos of her and Yi Jung together? _She noted herself to ask about that from Yi Jung later. Yi Jung obviously intended not to place any family photos in his room. Ga Eul assumed that it's because it would just break his heart every time he looks at a happy family photo and the photo doesn't even have a hint of truth in it.

Moreover, Ga Eul noticed that one of the pictures of her and Yi Jung is a sketch. She noticed it as one of her works. She remembers that sketch. It's her birthday gift to Yi Jung when they were 16. The sketch was the largest one in his room and it is right above his bed. It flatters Ga Eul that Yi Jung framed it, what more that he put it in his room?

She looks around in his room once more. She decided to look over his study table. She walks over to it and she's surprise to find all their friendship key chains hanging on one of the corners, not that she didn't keep all of it... but she didn't expect Yi Jung to keep it. She believes that Yi Jung is not a sentimental guy. As she thinks about everything, from the pictures to their friendship key chains, her heart begins to beat rapidly like the time Yi Jung's hand and hers met. Also, she remembered the time she saw an image in her head about Yi Jung and herself holding hands.

This time, she feels strong emotions coming from inside her chest. She felt an electric jolt suddenly hit her like _zap. _She felt tingles throughout her body she can't explain. What is this? She shook her head furiously and tried so hard to shrug off the thoughts that are going through her head all at once.

When Yi Jung arrived in his room, he was surprised to find Ga Eul stunned for a second and then shakes her head. He walked over to her in concern. It's obvious something was wrong. _What the hell happened to Ga Eul? _He then tapped her shoulders to let her acknowledge his presence. Ga Eul jumped slightly at his sudden touch. She quickly turned her head and found Yi Jung looking at her worriedly. She instantly felt her cheeks hot so she quickly looked away. She really is confused why she was acting like that and it didn't help when she heard his soft voice. "Ga Eul-yang? What's the matter?"

With all her might, she tried to regain her composure and face him. She managed to let out a weak smile. "Uhm... Nothing..." She stuttered.

"I don't believe you." Yi Jung said firmly. He crossed his arms across his chest and tilted his head. "What's wrong?"

Ga Eul sighed. Again, there's no point escaping this. This is one disadvantage of letting a person knowing you too well. "Well, I was just shocked to know that you kept our friendship key chains all these years. That's all." She admitted truthfully... Well, okay. It's partially true but what can she do? Admit that she's really confused with her feelings and she imagined her holding hands with him? Nah. Her ego won't let that happen.

Yi Jung was not that convinced but he let go of the topic. "Oh..." He let out a soft chuckle. He looked at her and it was just then that he noticed Ga Eul's appearance. Even though his polo shirt didn't hug her curves, she still looks amazingly beautiful. It just proves that Ga Eul didn't have to wear fitting clothes to look gorgeous. She was just beautiful in her own way.

Yi Jung gulped at the sight before him. Before he can entertain his feelings again, he quickly kept his cool and smiled at her. This is the best he can do for now, give his heart melting smile though he knows his charms wouldn't work on Ga Eul. That's what he thought. If Ga Eul was immune to that in the past, she's definitely keeping her guard down right now. She felt her cheeks hot again but Yi Jung didn't notice this for he turned around and head for the door. "Ga Eul-yang... The cake's downstairs. I arranged some movies to watch, you watched 'The Proposal' yet?"

Swiftly, Ga Eul snapped back to her senses as she saw Yi Jung turn his head to look at her. She gulped and searched for her voice to answer him. "Nope. I haven't watched it yet." Surprisingly, her voice didn't seem to stutter so she let out a soft smile.

"Let's go downstairs, then. The cake's waiting." Yi Jung grinned at her before going outside.

_Oh, But hold your breath  
>Because tonight will be the night<br>That I will fall for you  
>Over again<br>Don't make me change my mind  
>Or I won't live to see another day<br>I swear it's true  
>Because a girl like you is impossible to find<br>It's impossible  
>So breathe in so deep<br>Breathe me in  
>I'm yours to keep<br>And hold on to your words  
>Cause talk is cheap<br>And remember me tonight  
>When you're asleep<em>

Slowly, Ga Eul followed him outside, silently hoping that that incident won't happen again tonight.

Yi Jung and Ga Eul settled themselves on the sofa in front of the TV. Both of them are holding a plate of Choco Truffle Cake while watching the movie. Yi Jung and Ga Eul's eyes were glued at the movie so they didn't notice that they ate the whole cake. Ga Eul looked away from the TV and was just about to grab another slice of cake when she realized that there's no more cake left. She nudged Yi Jung to get his attention. "Jung-ah. I can't believe we ate the whole cake." Ga Eul stated and chuckled.

"Eh? We did? Now that's a first." Yi Jung laughed with her. Both of them put down their plates on the table and reached for some water.

After Ga Eul drank her water, she leaned her head on the couch and yawned. She stretched her arms and closed her eyes. Unconsciously, Yi Jung was watching her every move. He finds watching Ga Eul more interesting right now.

When Ga Eul opened her eyes, she found Yi Jung staring at her. Seeing that she caught him staring, Yi Jung felt embarrassed and looked away, blushing. Ga Eul, too, blushed with an unknown reason. She finds it embarrassing that Yi Jung was staring at her.

To cut the awkwardness that was building between them, Yi Jung let out a fake cough. "Are you sleepy?" He asked.

Ga Eul just shook her head as answer and scooted near him. "Can I lie down?" Ga Eul asked him.

Yi Jung shifted his position and took a pillow to place it on his lap. Slowly, Ga Eul settled herself on Yi Jung's lap and felt Yi Jung's hand on her waist. Instead of feeling more awkward, she actually finds warmth in their position. Yi Jung cautiously leaned his head on the sofa and closed his eyes. He, too, felt comfortable with Ga Eul lying on his lap.

"Yi Jung-ah.." Ga Eul softly called out.

"Hmmm?" Yi Jung mumbled without opening his eyes.

"Thanks." This time, Yi Jung opened his eyes and turned to stare at the ceiling instead.

"For what?" He asked.

"For everything... For coming into my life like this again."

"That's nothing." Yi Jung paused then continued. "You do know I need you in my life, right?"

He can feel Ga Eul nodding on his lap. "Yeah.. And I just realized that I need you too..." Ga Eul whispered but Yi Jung heard it anyway. A smile crept to their lips after that.

That night, they didn't know that it was the start of something new to the both of them.

_Because tonight will be the night  
>That I will fall for you<br>Over again  
>Don't make me change my mind<br>Or I won't live to see another day  
>I swear it's true<br>Because a girl like you is impossible to find_

_Tonight will be the night  
>That I will fall for you<br>Over again  
>Don't make me change my mind<br>Or I won't live to see another day  
>I swear it's true<br>Because a girl like you is impossible to find  
>You're impossible to find<em>


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer:** Boys Over Flowers doesn't belong to me. I own no copyrights over them whatsoever. All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

A sound of a phone can be heard from somewhere in the living room. The couple lying in the sofa slowly stirred at the sound. For some reason, their positions last evening changed incredibly. The girl, who was lying on the guy's lap last night, was now squished beside him. The guy had his arms around her waist as if hugging a soft cuddly pillow while the girl is comfortably snuggled on his chest.

Yawning, Ga Eul slowly fluttered her eyes open. For a second there, she forgot where she was and was completely startled when she realized someone's chest in front of her. Also, she felt the guy's arms around her, cuddling her closer to him. Instead of pushing the guy away, she actually felt comfortable having him beside her like that. In his arms, she felt safe as she realized who it was. She felt like Yi Jung would protect her from any harm, physically, mentally, even emotionally for this matter.

She pulled back from him gently and turned to look at his face. Unfortunately, Yi Jung's eyes slowly opened at the same time. Before Ga Eul can even look away, Yi Jung's eyes widen as realization dawned on him. _What the—?_

Both of them immediately felt their cheeks burn from embarrassment. Once again, awkwardness filled the atmosphere around them. Yi Jung quickly pulled his arms away from her and tried to sit up on the sofa. He tries to regain his composure and cool down his cheeks from the current situation. Ga Eul, too, sat up on the sofa and found her feet utterly interesting from the awkward moment.

Once again, a sound of a phone began to break the silence that was rising in the living room. It was just then that Ga Eul realizes that it was her phone that kept ringing earlier. Another sound was heard while her phone was ringing. It seemed like an alarm or something. With the two noises buzzing around the living room, she sighed before standing up and walking over to where her purse is. She pulled out her phone and placed it in the middle of her ear and shoulder. After that, her hand fished something from her bag again. She pulled out her organizer and tapped it to stop the alarm.

Yi Jung watched her every move as Ga Eul muttered something from her phone while tapping continuously on her organizer. He heard her saying something from the words, "When?", "Am I late?" or something like, "Fine, Next week?" He assumed that it must be from work. Ga Eul is a workaholic, after all.

Finally, after what seemed like forever, Ga Eul hang up her phone and placed her organizer inside her purse again. "So who was it?" Though the answer was obvious, Yi Jung can't help but ask.

"Shin Hee, my secretary. Just updating me about work." Ga Eul replied simply.

"So what did she say?" Curiosity got the better of Yi Jung. He was really curious on what Ga Eul would be doing that day.

"Well, she said that because I was late, the meeting earlier was rescheduled tomorrow. It's not that important anyway. It's just an update about our stocks and whatever." Ga Eul said with a smile on her face.

"You really are busy Ga Eul-yang." Yi Jung said. He didn't even bother to hide his amusement. "But still… I know you're still the same old Ga Eul I knew, right?"

"Judge me." Ga Eul teased as she walks over to the sofa again to sit down. Yi Jung let out a soft chuckle. It's really amazing how the two can immediately erase the awkward atmosphere around them. Well, they're the best of friends after all.

"So you're going to work after this?" Yi Jung asked while Ga Eul lied down on Yi Jung's lap again.

"Well… I'm actually free for the whole day since I didn't attend the meeting earlier. You want to go out or something?" Ga Eul asked him while she continuously poked his nose when Yi Jung turned to look down on her.

"Isn't Omma going to be mad?" Yi Jung asked.

"Nope. I think. I'll have to deal with that later on. I need to relax myself. Run away from all the work and stuff." Ga Eul replied. She scrunched up her nose when Yi Jung poked her nose back.

"Okay then. Where do you want to go? Are you sure you want me to accompany you?" Yi Jung asked and turned to fiddle with her long silky hair. It amazes him on how Ga Eul retains the softness of her hair without going to a hair stylist.

"Yeah. I mean… Who else would it be? You're my bestest bestest best best best friend in the whole world! And we still need to catch up on things." Ga Eul said with a hint of teasing in her voice. She stuck her tongue out and pushed Yi Jung gently so that she can jump out of the sofa. Ga Eul jumped up and down in front of Yi Jung while stretching her arms and legs. It's kind of funny to look at actually and Yi Jung didn't fail to let Ga Eul know that. Standing up, he laughed at her while she stretched. Ga Eul just stuck her tongue out and laughed with him.

"You hungry?" Yi Jung asked when Ga Eul stopped her silliness.

"Starving!" Ga Eul shouted and settled herself on the sofa again. Yi Jung nodded and walked over to the direction of his kitchen.

"What do you want for breakfast?"

"Anything would be fine." She replied plainly as she reached out for the remote.

Before Yi Jung could completely go, Woo Bin suddenly emerged to the room. Both guys jumped slightly in surprise. Woo Bin widen his eyes and bore them from Ga Eul to Yi Jung. _What the hell is going on in here?_

When Ga Eul saw Woo Bin, she also widens her eyes and can feel herself blush. Slowly, she sat up from the sofa and paid attention to the two guys in front of her.

After a while, Woo Bin turned to smirk and kept his cool. Since he didn't actually confessed to Ga Eul last night, he had no reason to suddenly punch Yi Jung though it was very tempting at the moment. "You slept here Ga Eul-yang?" Woo Bin asked and walked over to the sofa to make himself comfortable.

"Yeah…" Ga Eul replied tentatively. She didn't know how to explain to Woo Bin what happened. It was clear that she lied to him last night, seeing that she admitted the fact that she did sleep there last night. Even if she lied again that time, the polo shirt she was wearing is a dead giveaway.

Woo Bin nodded. Sighing, he leaned his head on the sofa. "So that's why your car's outside. I see."

"Yup." Ga Eul tried to feel at ease at the awkward situation but she finds it really difficult with Woo Bin's tone.

"Hmmm…" Woo Bin mumbled thoughtfully. "Ga Eul-yang… Would you mind me excusing Yi Jung for a minute? I need to have a word with him."

Ga Eul just nodded and worriedly looked at Yi Jung. For some reason, she can feel that something bad will happen between the two. She then tried to convince herself that it might be a small talk or something like that. Slowly, she stood up and walked to the direction of the kitchen. "I'll leave you two here. I'll prepare breakfast then." She turned to look at them again before leaving. She smiled and gave a concerned look on Yi Jung one more time.

Once Ga Eul was out of hearing range, Woo Bin quickly stood up and gave Yi Jung a punch on his jaw. He gave him a look only once but then gave him a smirk. Yi Jung fell on the floor in an instant. He can feel the awful pain in his jaw. He gently touched it and can feel his gums bleeding inside his mouth. He looked at Woo Bin as if saying 'sorry'. He admits it's his fault. He really needs some serious explaining to do.

"You told me you got over her." Woo Bin accused.

"I thought I did and nothing happened last night. She just stayed over. That's that." Yi Jung looked away from Woo Bin's blazing gaze. He knows how Woo Bin is when he's angry. Although he kept his cool, it's totally obvious from his tone that he's restraining himself from killing someone, especially when that someone is one of his best friends.

"I decided to pursue her since you said you don't like her anymore. I've been honest with you, So Yi Jung. I told you my plans but here you are…" Woo Bin furiously said. He can't even continue his words because of his anger.

"I'm sorry." Yi Jung apologized as he stood up. Yi Jung didn't know what else to say. He didn't want to argue with Woo Bin any longer. He fully accepts his fault.

Woo Bin's eyes just followed Yi Jung as Yi Jung walks over to the sofa to sit down. He let out a smirk. Yi Jung's practically a brother to him so he thought about the best way to win over Ga Eul's heart, a fair fight. "So Yi Jung." He called out his name. Yi Jung instantly looked up at him expectantly. "May the best man win, then."

It wasn't a question. It was a statement. Woo Bin was daring him into a war to capture Ga Eul's heart. Will he accept? Yi Jung thought otherwise.

"No." Yi Jung said strongly. He let himself lock in Woo Bin's angry gaze. He was now getting irritated. "Ga Eul's not a prize to be won over. She's a fragile woman so treat her with respect."

Woo Bin raised his eyebrow. Yi Jung's really saying this? It's the first time he raised his voice in this kind of subject. Usually, Yi Jung only gets mad when the subject is about his family or work.

After a few more minutes of their glare contest, Woo Bin spoke up. "Let's see about that." With that, he walked away, leaving Yi Jung angry but bewildered at the same time.

_Damn you, Woo Bin._


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer:** Boys Over Flowers doesn't belong to me. I own no copyrights over them whatsoever. All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

I can hear a faint thud and faint yells. What the hell is going on in there? I fight the urge to go back into the room. I sighed. I know Yi Jung will tell me all about that later on. He can't hide anything from me.

And then, they went quiet in the room. I was kind of worried on what happened to them. With Woo Bin's tone earlier, something's up. I can tell.

Ignoring the two, I searched for something cook in the fridge. Luckily, it wasn't that hard. Yi Jung hardly keeps food in his fridge. Typical Yi Jung… He usually goes out with the F4 to eat. Come to think of it, nothing's change about him at all. He's still the same old best friend I knew. I still feel at ease when he's around. I can still find him when he's gone missing. I still know his weaknesses. I still know his likes and dislikes. But you know what? I feel something different when he's around. Not like the old days… It's something new to me. Those awkward moments with him, I felt my cheeks hot… like I'm blushing or something. When I wanted to stay for the night, I don't even know where that came from; I just know that I want to be with him that night…. Actually, ever since we saw each other again, I wanted to talk to him about stuffs. Maybe I miss my best friend that much? Maybe that's it. Maybe that's why I was feeling so uneasy when I saw them again. And those times when my heart beats rapidly, it's really something new to me. I never had those weird feelings before… I wonder what that is…

Anyway, I beat some eggs I found in the fridge and opened a can of mushrooms. I poured the water out in the sink and placed all the mushrooms together with the egg. After that, I grated some cheese. Yup. Yi Jung's favorite breakfast. Scrambled eggs with mushroom and cheese. Oh, and I almost forgot. He loves toast for breakfast too. I searched for bread in the cupboards. I found four loaves of bread. Really, Yi Jung, four? I smirked. Yi Jung's really a sucker for bread with strawberry jam. He practically eats it whenever he has something to do. Actually, because I remembered that from Yi Jung, I placed it on all the menus on every restaurant I own. With that, I proceeded to slice the two loaves of bread and placed all the slices on a tray to toast it in the oven.

While waiting for that, I found the oil hot enough so I cautiously placed the egg into the pan. As I fried the eggs, I heard some footsteps near me so I quickly whipped my head. I found Woo Bin walking out of the room and was somewhat furious. By that furious face, I assumed they did fight. "Woo Bin-ah, aren't you staying for breakfast?"

Woo Bin, who seemed oblivious that I was there, widen his eyes in surprise when he saw me. He gave me a weak smile. "Naaah. Maybe some other time…" He paused as if thinking about something then turned to me again. "Oh, Ga Eul-ah, I'll call you sometime, okay?"

Call me? Whatever for? I raised my eyebrow but nodded anyway. "Take care while driving." I called out as he continued walking to the door. I finished off the scrambled eggs and placed it on a plate. Presentation doesn't matter. That's what Yi Jung and I always say when we were little whenever we eat something. I pulled out the bread from the oven after that.

While spreading some jam on each of the bread, I heard someone stopping by the doorway. Who else can it be? Yi Jung. "Presentation doesn't matter."

"Because we're gonna eat it anyway. I know, I know." I scowled at him as I finished off spreading jam on the last slice of bread. "Juice?" I asked, still not looking at him as I made my way to the fridge.

"Mango." He said.

"Yup." I just nodded and continued what I was doing.

"Apple for you, right?"

"Yes." I pulled out stuffs from the fridge and turned to look at him. I kept a serious face. "What happened?" I asked simply. I know he knows what I'm talking about. We're always like this. Few words because we know what the other is thinking.

"It's nothing…" At that, I narrowed my eyes on him. "Okay! I'll tell." He paused and let out a sigh. My face softened when I saw how sad he looked. "I told him something that I shouldn't have told him because I wasn't sure of it myself."

His explanation confused me so I asked further. "What is that something?"

"I'll tell you when the time comes." Yi Jung gets the plates of food on top of the counter and turned to the dining room.

"Yah!" I called out before he completely disappears from my sight. I let out a scowl again. I quickly finished preparing the juices and paced to the dining room.

When I got there, Yi Jung was already seated and was eating a slice of bread with jam. Told you he was a sucker for that. "Yah! Yi Jung! What is it? Why can't you tell me?" I said as I took my seat cross him.

"Ga Eul-yang… Please. I will tell you sooner or later… Now is just not the right time for that." He said and finished off his slice of bread to get another one.

I huffed. Fine. He better tell me soon or I'll keep pestering him for that. Well, on second thought, I can't do that… After this free day, I have tons of work to do.

We ate some breakfast talking about random things but it's mostly about work. And then we came to talk about another sensitive topic next to family; love. "Yah, did you even have any time to date some guys?" Yi Jung suddenly asked. I suppose he was just nagging me about being a workaholic but the question still caught me off guard. I choked some of my juice at that.

"Naaaaah. That's too much of a bother." I replied casually even though a lot of questions are going inside my head at once.

"So you mean you never had a boyfriend all these years?" Yi Jung asked while munching his tenth slice of bread. Don't get me wrong, Yi Jung and I are usually frank with each other but somehow, I became uneasy about our topic. I sort of asked myself those questions too. Yeah. Why didn't I have I boyfriend?

"Nope." I tried so hard to act normally as possible. Hmmm… Why don't I ask the same question to him? So I did, "How about you? Didn't you have a girlfriend?"

"Naaah. It's too much of a bother too." I looked at him intently. Why am I acting weird at the topic but Yi Jung just kept his cool all throughout? "Yah! Why are you looking at me like that?"

Instantly, I looked away and ate my food. I saw him smirk in the corner of my eye. I looked at the remaining bread. There's only one left. "Yi Jung-ah, are you going to eat the last one?" I asked.

"Race." And that's all I need to hear to reach over the food. Luckily, I was the first to get it and I smiled triumphantly. He let out a scowl. I stuck my tongue out and munch away my food.

After I finished eating my food, which is by the way really fun considering Yi Jung kept staring at me with narrowed eyes, Yi Jung and I cleaned up the table. I placed the dirty dishes on the sink and turned to Yi Jung who was waiting for me by the doorway.

"Yi Jung-ah. I'm going home now. Meet me at my restaurant, you know, that place I saw you with the guys, be there by noon, okay? I still have a few documents to sign before we go out." I told him.

Yi Jung nodded as he followed me to his room. I get my dress from the sofa in Yi Jung's room and also my shoes. "Oh!" I exclaimed when I thought about something. "This polo, I want to keep it." I declared. I didn't ask him. It was a statement and Yi Jung can't do anything about that.

He raised his eyebrow curiously. "Why?"

"Nothing. I just want to." I said simply. I proceeded to go downstairs to get my purse. I'm still barefooted but I didn't mind. I don't want to wear those stupid heels. I just wear that when I need to be perfect but with Yi Jung around, I just have to be myself.

When I got all my things in my hand, I turned to Yi Jung who was following me around. "Don't forget! I have some places in mind that I want to go to. It's been too long since I enjoyed myself outside." I gave him my sweetest genuine smile and leaned forward to hug and kiss him on the cheek.

I was wrong with my move. I felt that jolt again. The one when our hands touched. Gaaah. Those sparks again. But I shrugged it off quickly before Yi Jung can even notice.

Apparently, it seems like Yi Jung felt it too because he was frozen and was staring blankly into nothingness. I waved my hand in front of him and he quickly snapped back to reality though he looked away immediately and I swear I saw a taint of red on his cheeks.

I walked to the door of Yi Jung's studio. It's the nearest place where I parked my car. If I go to the front door, I will have to walk around the house to get to my car. I have my back on him but I waved at him. I know he was still looking at me. I can feel his eyes on me.

As I walked to my car, I can still feel somebody's eyes on me but it wasn't Yi Jung's, I know it. So I turned around before I opened my car. There's no one around. That's weird. I shrugged to myself and slipped inside my car. I attached my earphones to my ears and speed dialed my secretary. Off with some business before our best friends' day out.

:) :) :) :) :P

It is thirty minutes before noon. I still have some time to sign some documents before Yi Jung comes into my restaurant. I arrived in my favorite restaurant, _Teardrops of heaven, _and immediately headed for my office, my secretary was following closely behind. I didn't even bother to check on Jae Hin, my restaurant manager; I know that she did very well. I opened my door and proceeded to my desk. I placed my bag on top and pulled out some folders to sign. Shin Hee closed the door behind her and began reciting my schedule, which I didn't bother to listen because I know she'll put it in my organizer.

When she was finished, she heaved out a sigh. I thought something was wrong so I looked up at her. She was just smiling at me so I raised my eyebrow at her. It's a weird smile. Not a typical Shin Hee smile.

"What?" I finally asked.

"Well, Ga Eul-ah, you look different today." She told me. I blinked my eyes and looked at what I was wearing. Yeah. I don't look like my usual businesswoman self today. I'm wearing skinny jeans, a white tank top inside my light gray long sleeved polo shirt and ballet flats.

"Well, I don't have to look like a businesswoman every day. I think it makes me look old." I waved my hand in front of me to dismiss the topic. I continued signing my papers again as I heard the door open and close. Maybe Shin Hee went outside so I didn't bother to look up.

"Nonsense. You always look beautiful at everything you wear." With that, I'm positive it wasn't Shin Hee. It's a familiar male voice I heard from years ago. So I looked up and found myself gasp…


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer:** Boys Over Flowers doesn't belong to me. I own no copyrights over them whatsoever. All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Ga Eul looked up and gasped. It was a certainly familiar face to her. It's the same guy who asked her out 2 years ago. Brandon Schmidt. He's a handsome guy and girls actually fall for him in an instant with just his charms. He's a blond guy with blue eyes. He's absolutely gorgeous. His family is also in hotel and restaurant business like Ga Eul's so their companies usually meets in conferences. He's perfect guy but Ga Eul just didn't think of him that way. That's when Ga Eul first met Brandon. They always bump into each other in conferences in New York and then one day, Brandon asked her out. Ga Eul thought that Brandon was just being friendly but it became a lot more as the days go by so she limits her responses to him. He's very persistent though so she cut their connections and changed her number for the first time.

"Brandon?" Ga Eul said with her British accent. Yes, Brandon is a British man but he also speaks a lot of different languages like Korean, Japanese, English, Spanish and Chinese so that's why he understands Korean.

Ga Eul turned to Shin Hee with a questioning look. She just responded with a shrug. "Uhm… Sorry, excuse me. I'll leave you two." Shin Hee bowed and went outside.

"Hi Ga Eul." Brandon said in Korean. "Don't worry. I can understand Korean, remember? So you can talk to me in your language."

"Oh, yes… I forgot about that, sorry." Ga Eul paused and looked down on her documents so that it would look like she's concentrating on signing them. "So what are you doing here?"

"Well, I have some meetings here in Korea so I just dropped by to visit you." He said in a friendly tone although Ga Eul still didn't feel comfortable with him around. "So Ga Eul… Why haven't you contacted me? It's been two years since we last saw each other." Slowly, he walked to Ga Eul's desk and still, she continued signing her documents without taking a look at him.

"Yeah… I've been busy lately." Ga Eul simply said while trying so hard not to sound nervous. Somehow, she feels that something wrong's going to happen.

"Hmmm…" Brandon nodded and took a few steps closer. He leaned on Ga Eul's desk with his two hands supporting his weight. With that, Ga Eul looked up to him and saw his eyes looking at her directly. "So, can I ask you out tonight?" He said, still maintaining his friendly tone.

Ga Eul gulped as she drowned herself in his gorgeous blue eyes. She tried to concentrate on what's happening but she can't bring herself to look down. "Uh, sorry… But I'm busy today. I have a lot of things to do."

Brandon raised an eyebrow with the look of fear in Ga Eul's face so he smirked. "Uhuh… And what are those things, if I may ask?" He leaned closer, his face just inches from Ga Eul's.

Meanwhile, outside, Yi Jung just arrived at the restaurant holding peonies in his hands. It's Ga Eul's favorite flowers. He was late. Ten minutes late to be exact so he hurriedly went inside and walked straight to Ga Eul's office. He found Shin Hee outside and smiled. "Is Ga Eul there?" Yi Jung asked.

"Yes, but she— Wait sir!" Shin Hee was interrupted when Yi Jung opened the door slowly right in time when the man said, "And what are those things, if I may ask?" The tone of the man's voice is quite… wrong. Yi Jung saw the man leaning closer to Ga Eul and she was clearly afraid of what the man's going to do as she leans her head backwards. Yi Jung felt his blood boil and banged the door. The two immediately look at him.

"Hey!" Yi Jung shouted, anger obvious in his voice. He tightened his grip in the flowers he was holding.

Smirking, Brandon stood straight and faced him. Ga Eul stayed quiet in the background as she saw Yi Jung's angry face. She was still frozen about the things that happened. It was so sudden that she didn't know how to react.

"Oh, and who might you be?" Brandon asked in an irritated tone but he kept his cool and just smiled at him.

"So Yi Jung! Her boyfriend! So back off!" Yi Jung replied angrily without thinking. Ga Eul widened her eyes and felt her heart beat faster. _What the hell is Yi Jung saying?_, she thought.

"So Yi Jung? Oh… I heard a lot from you from Ga Eu years ago… But I can't remember her telling me that you're her boyfriend." Brandon said thoughtfully. He tried to remember what Ga Eul always told him about Yi Jung. "You're the famous potter, right?"

"Yes." Yi Jung said through gritted teeth.

"Nice to finally meet you then. I'm Brandon Schmidt." Brandon held out a hand but Yi Jung didn't take it. When Brandon realized that Yi Jung's never going to take it, he put down his hand and smirked. "Okay… I guess I need to go now." Brandon said and turned to look at Ga Eul who was still looking at the both of them. "Ga Eul… I need to go now. I hope we can catch up on things… Well that is…" He glanced at Yi Jung's direction. "if you're boyfriend allowed you to. Bye then." Brandon finished and took Ga Eul's hand. He kissed it and winked at her. Ga Eul felt her cheeks hot and looked away from him. She looked at Yi Jung who was watching like a hawk to the both of them.

Slowly, Brandon exited the room but before completely exiting, he stopped beside Yi Jung for a brief second and said, "I don't care if you're her boyfriend. I swear I'll take her away from you." And then, he walked out.

Yi Jung still felt angry and was taken aback at what Brandon said to him that he didn't notice Ga Eul stand up and went to him. Ga Eul waved her hand in front of him and Yi Jung snapped back to reality in an instant. She glared at him for a moment and crossed her arms in front of her. "What the hell did you just say to him? Boyfriend? Really, Yi Jung… What the hell happened to you?" She glared at him again. When Yi Jung just looked down and stayed silent, she continued her rage. "Oh, why did you have to say that? You could just tell him that you're a good friend of mine or something." She snapped.

"Well, he wouldn't stay away from you when I say that. He would still bother you endlessly." He mumbled.

"I can very well handle that, thank you very much." She said sarcastically. Yi Jung looked at her with his right eyebrow raised. Ga Eul sighed. "Okay fine. I can't." She said, defeated. "But still, I can't believe you said that! What's gotten into you?"

"I… I don't know…" Yi Jung stuttered. Ga Eul sighed.

"Yi Jung-ah! He will surely tell Omma or Appa about that! The press will know. Everyone will find out! Yi Jung! Augh! You ruined my peace! Everything will be a mess!" She shouted at him furiously. She glared at him again and felt her hands balled into a fist. Yi Jung badly wanted to say sorry but he can't bring himself to speak up. It's the first time Ga Eul shouted at him like this. He looked at her and she was in the verge of tears.

"Get out!" Ga Eul said and pointed at the door. Outside, she can see all her employees looking at the scene wide-eyed. It's the first time they saw their boss angry.

"Ga Eul-yang…" Yi Jung started.

"I said get out! I don't want to see your face anymore!" Ga Eul screamed. Reluctantly, Yi Jung obeyed. He bent down to put the flowers down before walking off. His feet were heavy but he continued walking, afraid that once he turned around his tears will start to fall carelessly.

Ga Eul's face softened as she saw Yi Jung's back slowly fading in front of her. She instantly felt guilty for shouting at him like that. She looked down and saw the flowers Yi Jung brought. Peonies. Her favorite. Suddenly, she felt something wet on her cheeks. Tears? Why is my heart throbbing?

She wiped her tears quickly and closed the door of her office. She picked up the peonies and turned to smell it. The flowers are obviously freshly picked and it didn't help when she knew that. She trembled and collapsed on her knees.

_Oh, Yi Jung… I'm so sorry…_

That day, her mind thought of only one person. So Yi Jung.


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer:** Boys Over Flowers doesn't belong to me. I own no copyrights over them whatsoever. All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Ga Eul felt really guilty. She overreacted. She knew that. It was just… she panicked. She did everything to make her life this perfect and she's too afraid that it would be hell again. She didn't consider Yi Jung's feelings when she screamed at him. She only thought about herself. About the possibilities that her life will be like years ago… Before she started committing with their family business. It was horrible.

After she graduated from college, she didn't contact the F4 to help her. She dealt with the problem alone and her state became a lot worse. She became depressed for weeks and even tried to commit suicide. Her dad and mom told her that they were going to separate and that her dad… her dad got a girl, about her age, pregnant. And it wasn't just any girl. She's a childhood friend. She's practically like a sister to her. Among Jun Hee, Seo Hyun and this girl, the girl is the closest to her. It wasn't an accident. In fact, the girl loves her dad and came to live with him abroad. It broke Ga Eul's heart. She felt deceived. Betrayed. And it's like a part of her was gone missing. The girl shamelessly forgot about their friendship and fled with her dad. She says she loves him.

And what depressed her more? She knows that her father loves her Omma dearly. Yes, he does. And she knows her dad didn't mean to do that. It's all because of depression too. Her Omma never loved her father and never will. She loves someone else and their marriage was arranged. Her father loved her Omma from the moment he saw her so he agreed with their marriage but her omma tried to stop it by fleeing with her boyfriend. Unfortunately, her grandfather shot her omma's boyfriend and he died. And bearing Ga Eul, her omma always says, was a mistake. It pained her more when everyday since she was born, her omma reminded her that. Her appa was the only one who cared for her like a person when she was growing up. So she loved her appa like she never did for her omma and when she knew about him getting her closest friend pregnant, she started to break down. She hated them all and for once, even her appa. She didn't know what to do. Her life was a mess back then. It took her a year of depression. Of not eating much. Of not caring for the world. Of being suicidal.

Her parents took her depression privately. They didn't want the whole world to know the Chu's dirty background because it will ruin their reputation. So no one knew… No one. Not the F4. Not Jun Hee nor Seo Hyun. So Ga Eul had to endure the pain… alone.

She had to take up therapies to regain her normal cheery self. She had to study again for two years to refresh her with everything. After all those, she became numb. She became cold-hearted and never knew the meaning of love. Yes. She's perfect outside but inside, she's wounded. That's why she didn't know how to interact with boys. She didn't know how being friendly differs from being flirty. So that's why she never had a boyfriend. Because she closed herself from giving her whole heart. And that's also the reason why she buried herself to work. Day and night, it's always about work. She's afraid that if she paid attention to the things around her, like living a life, she would break down and become depressed again.

After she saw Yi Jung, no… the F4 again, she felt uneasy because… she was happy. She was happy to see her best friends again. And that happiness, if something happened again, she's afraid that the joy she was feeling will equal to the pain she will feel when something broke her heart again. And her feelings became out of control when Woo Bin's actions confused her. It also didn't help when she went to Yi Jung sudeenly to feel at ease and it's worse when she even asked to stay the night at his place. Slowly, her memories of the past, her happiness, poured into her soul. And she didn't think about the consequences even once. And then… That happened, her screaming at the one who made her feel so happy and then him backing away… Why so soon? Why did she have to experience pain again this soon? Life's too unfair.

At this moment, her cold-hearted self gave in and her heart became soft. For the first time after all those years, she let herself become depressed once more. She didn't know why seeing Yi Jung leave like that pained her. She cried uncontrollably the night after that scene happened. She didn't make sense. Why did she scream because of a petty reason? Why did she have to be so stupid to overreact like that? And why the hell Yi Jung had this effect on her?

She screamed with a pillow on her face preventing someone to hear her. She was in bed. She still hasn't got any sleep. As she recalled all her memoried, happy or not, she felt furious. Frustrated. Hatred. Anger. Everything came back to her. It's five o' clock in the morning. She didn't know what to do anymore. She wants to talk to Yi Jung so badly but she didn't know how she'll do that. She hurt him. She said things to him that are very unreasonable. Slowly, she stood up from her bed.

Walking to her bathroom, she scratched her eyes. She looked at herself in the mirror and sighed. She looks pretty much of a mess. Her long silky hair was a mess. Her eyes are puffy and gloomy. Her face was pale as ever. She washed her face with cool water and brushed her teeth.

She went to her bed again and let herself collapse on the soft and comfortable thing. She reached out for her teddy bear, one that Yi Jung gave her when she was ten. "Hey Mr. Bear, is Yi Jung mad at me? What do you think?" She asked the bear like a child. Sighing, she hugged it tightly on her chest.

Suddenly, her phone was heard throughout her room. She sighed in frustration again. Work again. She reached out for her phone on the bedside table and didn't bother to look at the caller ID.

"Hello? Shin Hee?" She said while yawning.

"Ga Eul? It's me. Woo Bin."

"Oh, hey." Ga Eul raised a brow.

"Hey, I hope I didn't disturb you sleep or anything?"

"No. Not at all. So what's up?" Ga Eul said, trying to sound casual.

"Well, nothing. I just thought that may be you need someone to talk to or something. Want to grab some breakfast?"

"I'm not really hungry." Ga Eul replied. Well, it's true but her main reason is that she didn't want to be with Woo Bin right now.

"Well, can I come over?" Woo Bin's getting persistent so Ga Eul sighed in defeat.

"Sure thing."

"Great! I'll be there in an hour. See you!" Woo Bin said enthusiastically.

_Hmmm… I guess it'll be okay… I need someone to talk to about Yi Jung anyway…_


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer:** Boys Over Flowers doesn't belong to me. I own no copyrights over them whatsoever. All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Woo Bin dashed for his car as soon as Ga Eul said 'yes'. He was really excited to get to spend the time with Ga Eul because alas, it will be his time to make a move once again.

He drove his car in such a speed that the cars he's passing by started honking at him but he didn't care at all. His mind concentrated on Ga Eul's beautiful face.

He made it to Ga Eul's mansion in the record of 15 minutes considering that their houses are kilometers apart. He rushes for the front door after he locked his car. He greets all the maids with a smile and as he passes the butler, he asks where Ga Eul is. He was told with a polite smile that she was in the garden, drinking her morning coffee and signing some papers for work. Woo Bin immediately went to the garden when he heard where she is. He called out a 'thank you' while running to her.

Slowing down, he peeked at those glass doors to see the sight of Ga Eul sitting peacefully wearing pink pajamas while drinking her coffee and reading some papers. As he opened the glass doors, Ga Eul snaps her head to him and gives him a small smile. He mocked a salute at her and continued walking to her direction. Woo Bin stopped to sit down in front of her.

"Yo Ga Eul! What's up?" He said excitedly while grinning broadly. It was until then that he saw Ga Eul's state. He realized that she looks… awful. Not the normal gorgeous Ga Eul but the wrecked Ga Eul. "Ga Eul-ah, are you okay?" His eyes softened and his lips are replaced with a frown.

Ga Eul frowned more and starts to get teary-eyed. "Yi Jung and I had a fight." She placed her papers down and looked sadly at Woo Bin. Woo Bin begins to get angry as he heard the reason why the girl in front of her is like a total wreck.

"What? What happened?" He tried to sound casual as he asks but it was hard.

"Well… Actually, I shouted at him with no good reason at all. I pushed him away…" Her voice was quiet and her tears begin to fall.

"Hey… What really happened?" Woo Bin reached out for her hand. He stroked it while Ga Eul's other hand traveled to her cheeks.

"Oh my god! No… I'm crying." Ga Eul wiped her tears away and smiled at Woo Bin. "Don't mind me Bin-ah… I'm fine." She brushed her hair out of her eyes.

"You're a total mess and you want me to believe that you're fine?" Woo Bin raised a brow and looked at her seriously. "Just tell me what's wrong. I'm in all ears."

Ga Eul frowned once more and didn't try to hide her depression. "I don't know why I screamed at him. I really don't know. It's just that I'm worried that something bad might happen again…" She sniffed and held back her tears. "I really don't know. I'm confused and when I watched him walk away from me… It never happened before right? Usually, when I shout at Yi Jung when we were kids he would just be there until I calm down, right? But yesterday, it was different. It's like he gave up on me and I felt like he will never come back again. I don't know… I spent years without you guys but right now, I felt like I want Yi Jung beside me always."

Woo Bin felt his heart ache but he kept his cool and let out a weak smile. "You love him, don't you?"

Ga Eul's face paled and shook her head like a child. "As a best friend, maybe… He's just so special, you know? He's like second to Appa." Woo Bin just frowned and contemplated on her words. "Woo Bin-ah, what do you think I should do? Do you think he will still forgive me or something?"

Woo Bin looked up to her devastated face. "Well, what do you want to do?"

"I want to call him and say sorry? I really don't know… I just want us to be okay again…" Ga Eul said with uncertainty.

"Call him." Woo Bin suggested with a seemingly fake smile. He reached out for his phone and dialed Yi Jung's number despite Ga Eul's protests. He gave her his phone and gestured a small nod.

Reluctantly, Ga Eul accepted his phone. She brought it to her ears but she only heard Yi Jung's voice mail. She frowned more at Woo Bin and shook her head. "He turned his phone off."

"Hmm… You should go and see him then. You always know where he is, right?"

"Yeah…" Ga Eul said thoughtfully. Suddenly, Woo Bin's phone rang. He immediately picked it up and listened to the person calling.

"What?... Yes… Okay… No, I'm with Ga Eul… Yes? No… I'll call my men immediately. Okay. Thanks bro."

"Who was that?" Ga Eul said curiously.

"Ji Hoo. Yi Jung's missing." Woo Bin informed her urgently. Ga Eul stood up as she heard the news and tears came rolling continuously down her face.

"Oh god… And it's my entire fault!" She groaned furiously.

"Hey, Ga Eul, calm down." Woo Bin stood up beside her and brought her to sit again. He soothed her by rubbing her back gently while whispering 'shh' in her ear.

"Yi Jung… *sniff* must *hiccup* really hate me… *sniff* right now."

"No, he can't hate you. You know that. Let's go inside your house so that you can lie down and rest." He assured her.

Woo Bin assisted Ga Eul inside her house and let her lie down on her sofa. He heard Ga Eul's phone ringing and picked it up while Ga Eul sobbed on her sofa pillow like a little kid.

"Hey, this is Woo Bin, Ga Eul can't answer the phone right now." Woo Bin paused to listen to the person. "Noona, yes. She's… well, awful… Yeah… I think you should too. Okay. Bye then." Woo Bin ended the call and requested for some tea from the maid by the door.

"Ga Eul-ah, noona's going here with Jan Di." Woo Bin told her quietly but apparently, Ga Eul ignored his words and just stated quiet while pressing her face more to the sofa pillow.

Woo Bin sighed and turned on the TV to break the silence that was occurring in the atmosphere. Eventually, he realized that it was not a right thing to do.

"_Chu Ga Eul, the current president of the Chu Corporations was spotted days ago in front of So Yi Jung's studio, wearing only a loose white long-sleeved polo barefooted. Our source saw her going inside the respected potter's studio in the evening wearing a red dress but she comes out in the morning wearing just a white polo while going inside her car. These are photos of Ms. Chu during those times." _

Woo Bin stared at TV in disbelief while flashes of Ga Eul's images appeared on the screen. Ga Eul began to sit when she heard her name from the TV. She looked at the thing in horror while her mouth opens slightly.

"What the hell?" Ga Eul whispered when she found her voice.

"_Yesterday, Mr. So was caught holding flowers while going inside Ms. Chu's restaurant. It was later found out by some inside sources that the two famous respected people are in an ongoing relationship."_

"Where did all those come from?" Ga Eul shouted right in time as Jun Hee and Jan Di rushed inside the room.

"Hey, dongsaeng, calm down." Jun Hee said while pushing Ga Eul down, who stood up roughly from the sofa when she heard the breaking news.

As she watched the two girls, Jan Di's face turned from urgent to worry. She sat down beside Ga Eul when Jun Hee sat down on Ga Eul's right. "Hey, Ga Eul-ah… Calm down."

"First, Yi Jung is nowhere to found and now this!" Ga Eul lets herself collapse on the sofa and looked up at the ceiling as she collects her thoughts.

Woo Bin, who was silently watching the three girls, spoke up. "Hey, I need to help Ji Hoo and Jun Pyo find Yi Jung and of course, the sources the news are talking about. I'll go now. Be fine Ga Eul, bye noona and Jan Di." Woo Bin said hurriedly as he walks to the door.

Jun Hee and Jan Di stared at each other then turned to Ga Eul. "Dongsaeng, you shouldn't stress yourself to much. It's going to be alright. We're here. You're not alone."

As soon as she heard those words, Ga Eul cried again. _You're not alone…. _Those words lightened her heart but at the same time pierced her. It echoed in her mind until she can't hear anything more as she exhausted herself to sleep.

:) :) :) :) :P

Woo Bin drove while continuously ordering something to his mafia group. His mind was split in two. He wanted to help Ga Eul but at the same time, he knows that when he helped her, he will lose to Yi Jung. But Yi Jung's like a brother to him! For goodness sake… They shouldn't fight for a girl.

He roughly parked his car by the sidewalk and leaned his forehead to the steering wheel. He sighed in frustration. _Will I still fight for her? She loves him… I can see it in her eyes._

Suddenly, as if lightning struck him, he knew what he's going to do.


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer:** Boys Over Flowers doesn't belong to me. I own no copyrights over them whatsoever. All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Yi Jung collapsed on the bed as he searched through his iPod for some songs he can hear for his current frustrations. He stops as his eyes darted to the song, "Iris". He involuntarily pressed the button and there goes the melody of the song through his ears.

He closed his eyes and listened to every bit of the song. Peace. The lyrics seem to have a meaning to him. Slowly, he took them all in as if they were telling him things he needs to realize. The words formed in his head. Unconsciously, he stretched out his arms and his head turned slowly to his right.

He opened his eyes gently and there, he saw Ga Eul. She is also smiling at him like nothing has happened between them. He wants to hold her so badly close to him and he doesn't want to ever let go of her. He didn't want to blink. He focused his gaze on her and so does she. _Is this real? Is she really here?_

He felt something in his outstretched hand and when he turned to it. Ga Eul's hand was over his. He intertwined her hand into his and it felt so right, so perfect as if it was meant to be. All those years he kept in mind that they weren't meant to be. Since that very day that he will confess, he thought they will never be but right now, he thought otherwise.

His lips slowly curved upwards but then… she was gone.

:) :) :) :) :P

"Dongsaeng, if you're not going to stand up there this minute I'm going to pour cold water over you and I'm not joking. You know that." Jun Hee said firmly as she crossed her arms in front of Ga Eul. "It's been a week and a half and we're doing all we can to find Yi Jung so please, stop blaming yourself for what happened because you know… no… We all know that Yi Jung's going to be okay. You know Yi Jung. He's like that when he wants to be alone and about the news; don't even be affected with it! It's just news. Sooner or later they will stop harassing you and Yi Jung."

Ga Eul groaned and pulled a pillow to her face. Not this lecture again. "On the count of three Ga Eul, if you don't stand up there I'm going to pour this pail of water in front of me on you."

Ga Eul didn't budge and continued muffling something in her pillow. "One."

Jun Hee groaned and picked up the pail of water. "Two."

Ga Eul puts her hands on the pillow and pressed it harder on her face. "Th—"

"Fine!" Ga Eul shouted as she sat up on her bed.

"Good." Jun Hee put down the pail and smiled widely at her. She walked up to her bed and sat down on the edge. "So tell me. Why are you being like this?"

Ga Eul pouted and sighed. Her unnie will never let of the subject. "I told you, unnie, it's my fault Yi Jung went missing."

"And so?" Jun Hee said testily as she raised her eyebrow.

"Yi Jung went missing! He's my best friend and I yelled at him with no reason at all. He just wants to help me but I screamed. And then here, he went missing! He didn't even tell anyone where he went, not even his F4 friends!" Ga Eul groaned and she felt that pang of pain and guilt again.

"Ga Eul, Yi Jung will understand especially when it concerns the people closest to him." Jun Hee said reasonably.

"I know… but still…"Ga Eul looked at her thoughtfully and abruptly turned her gaze away. "Anyway, what are we going to do about the media? It's all over Korea. No. It's all over the world! Yi Jung and I are said to be a couple and they have those evidence. Those pictures! How could they have brought those up? Oh, and they even searched for our friendship background and they found those childhood pictures! Why are pictures invented anyway?" Ga Eul complained furiously.

"That's the media Ga Eul. They will do anything just to have some information or whatever." Jun Hee said calmly hoping to influence Ga Eul with that calmness.

"And what's worse! Omma called me yesterday and told me something about being so caught up with these useless things and criticized me endlessly about my imperfections." She paused and held back her tears as she recalled those painful childhood days. "I mean... Is life all about work and only work? What the—"

"Don't even think about continuing that sentence, Ga Eul…" Jun Hee said warningly. If she will continue talking like that, she will have to face Jun Hee's wrath.

"Sorry." Ga Eul sighed in frustration. She slumped back to her bed and held the pillow on her face again. She screamed like a child and buried herself. Jun Hee shook her head. This isn't right. As she was staring at her, someone knocked on Ga Eul's bedroom door.

"It's open." Jun Hee called out. She looked at the direction of the door and even Ga Eul stopped her screams to see what's going on.

Shin Hee walked inside the room and bowed down. "Madame Gu, someone wants to see Madame Chu."

"Who?" Jun Hee asked.

"She says her name is Ms. Geum Jan Di." Shin Hee replied softly as she bowed once more.

"Oh, you can let her in. She's a friend." Jun Hee smiled at her as she bowed down once more before turning away. Ga Eul was now sitting up again while staring blankly. After a few seconds, Jan Di emerged from the door holding something in her hands. She grinned at them and greeted them with a small 'hello'.

She pulled herself a chair from Ga Eul's dresser just beside her bed. "I thought you and Ga Eul could use some porridge. I ended my shift early so I could visit her." Jan Di said.

Jun Hee clasped her hands in delight and walked up to Jan Di to take the porridge in her hands. "Great! Ga Eul could use some of that! I heard the porridge shop you're working in makes delicious porridge."

Jun Hee walked to Ga Eul's coffee table and knelt. She expertly prepared it on top of Ga Eul's coffee table. Jan Di and Ga Eul just watched her in amusement as the porridges was now emitting steam from the container, ready to be eaten. She turned her head to them, smiling. "There! Come and eat here you two." Jun Hee told the two.

Jan Di nodded her head and pulled Ga Eul from the bed as she stood up. They both walked to Jun Hee who didn't even wait for them to eat. She's eating her porridge happily in front of them that caused Jan Di and Ga Eul to chuckle at her.

While the three ate their porridge in silence, Ga Eul's phone started ringing. She picked it up and didn't bother to look at the ID. "Yoboseyo?"

"Ga Eul?" says the voice in the other end. It's somehow familiar to Ga Eul's ears.

"Who is this?" Ga Eul asked to confirm her suspicions.

"Brandon."

"Go to hell." She hissed and hastily ended the call. Somehow, she knew that Brandon is up to no good and she's not going to entertain him any further.

Jun Hee and Jan Di raised a brow and waited for Ga Eul's explanation. Ga Eul mumbled something while picking up her spoon to continue eating. "Who was that?"

"Suitor." Ga Eul said vaguely.

"Who?" Jun Hee persisted.

"Brandon." Ga Eul said plainly and Jun Hee swore she saw steam coming Ga Eul's ears. She chuckled at the thought.

"Oh…" Jun Hee stopped asking and went on eating.

"Hey Jan Di-ya." Ga Eul called out, desperate to change the subject.

Jan Di, who was silently eating watching the two, looked at her in surprise but managed a, "Hmm?"

"Can I work in the porridge shop for the meantime?" Ga Eul asked curiously as she put that irresistible pout on her lips.

"Mwoh?" She choked the porridge from her mouth and looked at her in disbelief. She tilted her head to see if she's kidding or not but to her dismay, there's really seriousness in her eyes. Slowly, Jan Di gave in and nodded her head shakily.

"Great! At least Ga Eul will go out of this messy bedroom now." Jun Hee exclaimed excitedly while Ga Eul scowled at her reaction.

"Unnie!" Ga Eul whined.

"Blah. Whatever dongsaeng." Jun Hee stuck her tongue out playfully but Ga Eul glared at her while stifling a laugh. Jan Di widened her eyes in amusement at the two. It's really odd to think that those two are one of the richest women in Korea. They sure don't act like one when the media's not around.

:) :) :) :) :P

"So… What am I going to do Jan Di-ya?" Ga Eul asked sweetly as she looked around the shop. She has to admit that it's a pretty cute shop.

"Well, you can—" Jan Di was cut off by a fake cough from behind her.

Both girls turned their heads around to find themselves face-to-face with Jan Di's boss. Jan Di cleared her throat and started. "Master, this is Ms. Chu Ga Eul. She wants to help work here in the shop."

Master turned his gaze to Ga Eul who was standing behind Jan Di, smiling. "Hi! I'm Ga Eul, nice to meet you sir." Ga Eul greeted and bowed.

He looked from top to bottom and kept that frown on his face. He nodded his head once and went back to the kitchen to continue his work.

Ga Eul looked at Jan Di in concern. Is she not welcome here? And as if Jan Di can read her mind, she answered the questions that are going in her mind. "Don't worry. He's just like that. It's normal." Jan Di assured her. "Hmm…" Jan Di walked to the counter and pulled a spare apron. She held it out to Ga Eul. "Here, you need this." She smiled and gestured her to follow. "I guess we should clean the mess here."

Ga Eul nodded and inhaled before both of them said, "Fighting!" They chuckled and went off to work.

All day, customers were coming in and out of the shop. Ga Eul can say that this experience is one of the happiest one she had especially since she spent the whole day with her new found girl best friend that she knows doesn't want anything from her but love and friendship. She can really say that Jan Di is not the type of girl who only goes for riches. She's glad to have met her.

As both of them prepared for the closing, Master went out of the kitchen, still with the frown on his face. "Go on and go home you two. I can handle from here." Master said with the blank expression on his face.

Jan Di and Ga Eul bowed and nodded their heads. They bid their goodbyes and cheerfully walked out of the shop. Jan Di stopped walking and turned to Ga Eul. She bowed. "Thank you, Ga Eul-ah! I had fun!" She said happily.

"Me too! Thank you!" She pulled Jan Di for a hug. She embraced her tightly and continuously muttered her thank you.

After Ga Eul pulled back from the hug, she spoke up. "So, I'll be going from here. You're house is in the other direction." Ga Eul said sadly. "I really wanted to go with you but I think I really need to go. It's getting late."

"It's okay. Thanks again." Jan Di said. She hugged her quickly before turning away. "I'll see you again, Ga Eul-ah!" She waved and ran to the direction of her house.

Ga Eul waved back. She waited until Jan Di was nowhere to be seen before she turned around to walk. She didn't want to drive her car to her house so she decided to just walk and feel the night's atmosphere. She never really had a night's walk and she's willing to experience it now since she knows she needs some thinking to do. She walked and walked, thinking deeply through her problems. Yi Jung's face suddenly appeared on her mind. She recalled all the moments they spent together from kindergarten up to now. It's been so long and they kept their friendship like that but when she thinks about it. Their friendship is different from the one they had when they were little kids. She can't explain it but it's different. Really really different.

Still thinking about Yi Jung, she didn't notice a man in front of her. She accidentally bumped into him. She caught herself before she completely fell to the floor. Abruptly, she stood up and composed herself. She muttered a sorry but she kept her head down. She continued walking past him but a firm hand grabbed her wrist. She was pulled back and was caught into another man's arm. It was then that she heard three men laughing around her. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! Let go of me you freaks!"

She pushed them all away but apparently, her panicking seemed useless to the situation. She frantically shoved them away but the men just laughed at her more. "C'mon. Just have fun with us tonight." The man laughed hysterically.

"YI JUNG!" Ga Eul's ear-splitting scream caused the men to let her go and cover their ears. Ga Eul ran but she was grabbed by the wrist again. She screamed Yi Jung's name but he wouldn't come. The men pulled her but she resisted.

"Man, this is a tough girl." Another man said. Ga Eul closed her eyes and kept silent. Hopefully, somebody will be there to save her.

She waited for her clothes to be torn but she found none. She heard someone punching and kicking so she opened her eyes and found a man saving her from the guys. She elbowed the guy who was keeping an eye on her and kicked his shin. She punched his stomach and the man fell to the floor in pain. There were more men now, about ten of them surrounding her and the man who came to save her. She kicked and punched the men who came across her not minding their yelps of pain. She regained her defense skills and she was amazingly at ease. She let go of the fear that dominated her earlier.

She kicked the last man that charged to her and she smiled triumphantly. She looked at the men on the floor. "Blah. I forgot I learned Taekwondo and Karate when I was a kid." She said bitterly.

Before she forgot, she turned to the man who saved her and widened her eyes in surprise, "You?"


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer:** Boys Over Flowers doesn't belong to me. I own no copyrights over them whatsoever. All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

_The strands in your eyes that color them wonderful  
>Stop me and steal my breath.<br>And emeralds from mountains thrust toward the sky  
>Never revealing their depth.<br>Tell me that we belong together,  
>Dress it up with the trappings of love.<br>I'll be captivated,  
>I'll hang from your lips,<br>Instead of the gallows of heartache that hang from above._

"You?"

"Yes me, you called me, didn't you?" The man answered with a smirk on his face.

Ga Eul looked at him in disbelief. Her eyes were wide in amusement. She didn't know how to react. He is here. He really is here. She felt relieved that she saw him again. That he's not mad at her. That he didn't give up on her.

When Ga Eul looked at him like he's some kind of a monster, he coughs. "I've always been your partner in Taekwondo and Karate when we were kids, right? I always beat the bad guys with you." He tries to put up a smile on his face as if nothing happened. He was nervous on how she would take him but somehow he knew she won't be mad. That's how she is.

As he waited for her to say something, her tears started to fall. He widened his eyes and quickly went over to her side. "Hey, Ga Eul-yang… What's up?" He said softly, trying to soothe her.

"I hate you, don't you know that?" Ga Eul said in between her sobs. She pulled him closer to her and hid her pretty face on his chest. Her heart kept pounding hard as he ran his hands through her long hair. She inhaled his scent. It was sweet and it slowly eases the knot in her heart.

"Sssh… I'm here now…" He said but he kept wondering if she really hates him. He felt a pang of pain when he thought about it.

"Where have you been, Yi Jung-ah?" She asked him in a sad tone. She felt calm and complete happiness surrounded her as he pulled her closer to him. What was this feeling within her when she was with him? It is so different from the feelings she felt for other guys.

His heart aches when he heard her cries. Her tears were shed for him. Did she feel something for him in return? He pulled from the hug just enough to see her face. He tucked her hair behind her ear and gently lifted her chin up. He smiled. She's too beautiful. It's wrong to believe that girls don't look beautiful when they cry, because in his world, Ga Eul was more than beautiful when she cries, and in his world, Ga Eul was the only girl he sees.

"What's wrong?" He whispers softly.

"I thought you're not going to speak to me again." She answers as she pouts her mouth.

"Why won't I?" Yi Jung raised a brow. "I will never forget the promise I made with you. Remember?"

"I won't leave you even if you're the most annoying best friend in the whole wide world." They both said as they remembered their ten-year old self, both holding a ring. They chuckled to their silly selves and as if on cue, Ga Eul's eyes darted to Yi Jung's necklace with the ring pendant.

_I'll be your crying shoulder,  
>I'll be love's suicide<br>I'll be better when I'm older,  
>I'll be the greatest fan of your life.<em>

"That ring…" She starts to whisper. "Is that-?"

"Yup." He let out a gentle smile. His hand traveled to the ring and he clutched it close to his heart. His tears were threatening to fall but he didn't let it.

"You still have it after all these years?" She asked as new tears from her eyes started to fall.

"Hey, ssshhh…" Yi Jung pulled his handkerchief from his pocket and wiped her tears away. "If you're worried that you didn't keep it, don't worry. I'm not going to be mad." He joked, hoping that she'll smile.

And it worked, Ga Eul smiled at him and hit his arm lightly. "Pabo… Who says I didn't keep it?" She told him.

Yi Jung looked at her in bewilderment. "You—?"

Ga Eul nodded her head and rummaged her bag. She pulled out her wallet and searched for the ring. She pulled the chain from her wallet and the ring was seen dangling from the chain. "There. It has always been here."

Ga Eul held the ring in her hands and looked beneath it. If Yi Jung's ring has a gold key engraved in it, Ga Eul's has a lock on hers and the words beside it says…

'_Cause I'm here_

Ga Eul tilted her head. She tried to remember what the words mean so she brought it closer to Yi Jung's ring and peeked on his. "Unlock you heart 'cause I'm here…" She reads. She slowly lifted her face and looked at Yi Jung. She drowned herself in his brown orbs. She then felt the familiar pounding of her heart again. The same one she always had with Yi Jung. She tried to give it a name but she can't. What is this? She didn't know but… she feels she has to know.

_And rain falls angry on the tin roof  
>As we lie awake in my bed.<br>You're my survival, you're my living proof.  
>My love is alive - not dead.<br>Tell me that we belong together.  
>Dress it up with the trappings of love.<br>I'll be captivated,  
>I'll hang from your lips,<br>Instead of the gallows of heartache that hang from above_

"Ga Eul-yang…" Yi Jung started. His heart was dominating his brain. He wants to let it all out. Those feelings he kept for years. "I…" He stammered but before he can continue, Ga Eul gasped.

"Oh!" She looked at the sky and the rain started to fall on her face. She shrieked and grabbed Yi Jung's hand as she ran to the nearest bus stop. When they got there, Yi Jung pulled Ga Eul's hand. "Listen, Ga Eul…"

The pull caused her to stumble on his chest. She quickly pulled herself from him and gazed through his eyes. His eyes were trying to tell her something…but what?

"Ga Eul…" He started again. He gulped before he continued. "I…"

Ga Eul tilted her head. "You what Yi Jung?"

"I love you Ga Eul-yang…" He said and quickly closed his eyes. Ga Eul's face turned from shock to embarrassment to joy. That thing she felt. Is it the same? She smiled. Oh now, she knew the answer and she's sure of it.

Slowly, Yi Jung opened his eyes and looked at Ga Eul. Surprisingly for him, she was smiling openly at him. He felt his cheeks hot at his confession but he didn't dare speak. He waited for her rejection but to his surprise Ga Eul held his right hand with her left and her right hand caressed his cheek. She continued smiling at him as she tightened her grip on his hand.

"Yi Jung-ah… Remember that day I saw you guys near my locker?" Ga Eul asked him as if trying to recall that memory. Yi Jung slowly nodded his head but he can't seem to find out why Ga Eul brought it up. "I heard you guys… and…" Ga Eul pulled out her wallet again and pulled a piece of paper inserted in one of the pockets. "…just now, I remembered this." She put the paper in of Yi Jung's hand. Yi Jung took it and curiosity was now dominating him.

He unfolded the paper and on it was the letter he was supposed to give Ga Eul… on that day… near her locker. His neat handwriting with his confession was on it and Ga Eul knew all about it all these years. He didn't know how to react so he looked at her. Ga Eul jerked her head. "Go on, flip it."

Yi Jung raised a brow but did what he was told. On the paper, he saw Ga Eul's handwriting.

_Yi Jung,_

_I don't really know how to react on your letter but if the time comes when you confessed to me personally, I think I would know how to answer._

"I forgot all about that… I never really changed my wallet, you know. A six-year old wallet. Classic." Ga Eul told him and chuckled. She held her wallet star stickers were still there. Yi Jung smiled as he shook his head in disbelief.

"You really are one of a kind." Yi Jung told her.

He turned to look at her eyes and silence fell between them. The rain continued pouring above them. The stars twinkled as dazzling as their eyes and the moon glowed amazingly in the night sky. Ga Eul took a step forward and leaned her head.

"I guess I can give this a name now." Ga Eul stated.

"What?" Yi Jung asked her. Ga Eul smiled at him and brought her face near his. She looked from his eyes to his lips and she closed the gap between their lips as she closed her eyes. Yi Jung's eyes widen but he closed his eyes when he felt her soft berry lips. He sighed. Is this what he thinks it is? For the nth time since they met, their hearts rapidly beat as one. Soulmates? Yes, they are.

_And I've dropped out, I've burned up, I've fought my way back from the dead.  
>I've tuned in, turned on, remembered the things that you said<em>

Ga Eul broke the kiss and blushed when she looked at him. Yi Jung grabbed her waist and waited for her to say something. She grinned at him and brought her lips beside his ears. "Saranghae Yi Jung… and right now, I'm quite sure it's not because you're my best friend."

_I'll be your crying shoulder,  
>I'll be love's suicide<br>I'll be better when I'm older,  
>I'll be the greatest fan of your...<br>I'll be your crying shoulder,  
>I'll be love's suicide<br>I'll be better when I'm older,  
>I'll be the greatest fan of your life.<em>

_The greatest fan of your life.  
>...greatest fan of your life.<em>


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer:** Boys Over Flowers doesn't belong to me. I own no copyrights over them whatsoever. All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

"Here." Yi Jung smiled as he held out a cup of coffee to Ga Eul.

Grinning, Ga Eul took the cup and went leaning back to the railings. Yi Jung positioned himself beside her. After their sweet confession, they walked under the rain, holding hands. They head back to Ga Eul's mansion and there, they changed their clothes and relaxed themselves in the night breeze on Ga Eul's porch.

Yi Jung took a sip of his cup and gazed at his first and only girlfriend and best friend. She's perfect. Who thought that the only woman he ever loved would love him back? Well, whatever the answer is. It doesn't matter. He has her now. That's what matters.

The cold breeze slid passed them. Ga Eul shivered and giggled. She took a sip of her hot coffee and unconsciously leaned her head to Yi Jung's shoulder. She took her time gazing at the glistening stars above them. The stars twinkled brightly at them while the moon glowed behind the clouds. She smiled at every star she pointed at. Her eyes twinkled like each and every one of the stars. It's a lovely evening after the rain earlier.

Yi Jung, on the other hand, watched as Ga Eul points at the sky. He stared at her lovely face. He tried to memorize all her delicate features from her doe eyes, her rosy cheeks to her berry lips. She's gorgeous in her own way and he, So Yi Jung, is really glad that this girl beside him is now finally his.

"Look Yi Jung! A shooting star!" Ga Eul pointed excitedly at the flash of light going down to the earth but Yi Jung didn't take his gaze away from her. Oblivious that her boyfriend continuously stared at her, Ga Eul sighed and leaned her head back to Yi Jung's shoulder. She clasped her hand with the cup in the middle and closed her eyes while whispering something to herself.

"It's beautiful." She whispered loudly while opening her eyes to look at the stars again.

"Yeaaah.." Yi Jung agreed dreamily without taking away his eyes off her.

Ga Eul turned to look at Yi Jung. She jumped a little as she saw him staring at her intently. She blushed and playfully punched Yi Jung's arm. "Yah! Stop that." She pouted.

Yi Jung chuckled and leaned closer to her. "I will always love you Ga Eul-yang…" He smiled and claimed her lips to his. Ga Eul widen her eyes but slowly closed them as she put down her cup and brought her hands behind Yi Jung's neck. She sighed and savored each passing second with Yi Jung under the evening sky.

Yi Jung broke the kiss. He leaned his forehead on hers. He stared at her eyes. Yi Jung slowly brought his lips to her right eye. He gently kissed it and pulled her closer to him. He wrapped his arms around her waist and the silence between them… said all the things they want to hear.

:) :) :) :) :P

"Yi Jung-ah…" Ga Eul whispered, barely audible.

"Hmmm?" He replied without pulling back from the hug.

Unfortunately, Ga Eul pulled back from the hug. She smiled at him and took his hand. "Let's go inside the room. It's getting cold out here."

Smiling, Yi Jung nodded his head slowly and followed her inside. Once inside, Ga Eul let go of his hand and collapsed on her bed.

"Yi Jung-ah!" She called out with her usual childish self.

Yi Jung raised his eyebrow with the sudden change of mood but went over to her. He settled himself beside her on her bed as Ga Eul stands up. She bounced on her bed while holding a pillow on her hands.

"So tell me… How did you really find me earlier?" She asked and slapped the pillow gently on Yi Jung's face. She giggled while Yi Jung laughed at her juvenile behavior. _Typical Ga Eul… _He thought.

"Sit down Ga Eul-yang… How can I tell you if you're bouncing like that?" He replied in between his chuckles.

"Ooops. Sorry." Ga Eul sat down beside Yi Jung. "Okay, go."

_Flashback :)_

_He felt something in his outstretched hand and when he turned to it. Ga Eul's hand was over his. He intertwined her hand into his and it felt so right, so perfect as if it was meant to be. All those years he kept in mind that they weren't meant to be. Since that very day that he will confess, he thought they will never be but right now, he thought otherwise._

_His lips slowly curved upwards but then… she was gone._

_A tear slowly slid down his face. What should he do now? He badly misses her but she told him to stay away from her. What can he do? It's been what, a week? Since he last saw her… He groaned and sighed. He's too weak to face her now._

_As if on cue, a knock on his door was heard. He raised his eyebrow. Now, who can that be? It's impossible for someone to find him. It's the last place someone will look for him there. He hasn't been there for a long long time._

"_Yi Jung! Open the goddamn door!" Succession of bangs followed the shout. Yi Jung raised his eyebrow, that's an all too familiar shout._

_He quickly stood up and went over to the door. He opened it smoothly and Woo Bin, his best bud, came barging in._

"_Woo Bin-ah? What are you doing here?" Yi Jung asked as he closed the door behind him. Woo Bin looked intently at him and sighed._

"_Come back home. Please." He said pleadingly. _

"_What? Huh? Wait, how did you find me here?" Yi Jung questioned, utterly confused._

_Woo Bin collapsed on his bed and heaved a deep sigh. He looked directly into his eyes. "Our Ga Eul needs you, Yi Jung. She's a total wreck. She can't eat or sleep and she's been crying for days."_

"_What? Why?" Yi Jung said with pure concern in his voice. Ga Eul's been crying?_

"_Yes. I'm not kidding, bro. You're the only one who can soothe her like the old days."_

"_Wait…" Yi Jung took a few steps forward as he raised his eyebrow. "Why are you doing this? You like her, right?"_

"_That's exactly why I'm here. I like her and I want her happy. You're the only one who can make her happy, Yi Jung." Woo Bin said softly. Sadness and pain was clearly written on his face. "Man, I talked to her… There's no doubt she loves you back."_

"_What are you saying?" Now, he's really confused. He can't seem to take it all in. First, Ga Eul's crying because of him, now, she loves him? That's too much._

"_What I'm saying, bro. Go ahead and come back home, pabo." Woo Bin said and brought out a smile. "Make her happy."_

_Realization dawned on him. He grinned at his best bud and ran for the door._

_:) :) :) :) :P_

"_Darn traffic." Yi Jung slammed his hand on the wheel. Great. Destiny's playing with him. What is this?_

_He groaned for the nth time. He opened his window for some fresh air. He closed his eyes for awhile and let the breeze pass by him._

_He was relaxed for awhile until…_

_YI JUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUNG!_

_Quickly, he opened his eyes and searched for the sound of the scream. He glanced around until another round of screams of his name came. He didn't care if someone will take his favorite car. He stepped out and rushed to where the screams came from._

_(: End of Flashback_

"…and that's when I saw you and those guys." He finished and groaned as he remembered the guys' hands on Ga Eul's body.

"So it was Woo Bin who convinced you to come back? He…he did that for me?" Ga Eul tilted her head thoughtfully. She pouted and placed the pillow she was holding on her face. She screamed then turned to Yi Jung once again.

"I owe him one." She finally said.

"Me too." Yi Jung agreed.

"What do you think we should do?" They said in unison.

They laughed. "Jinx!"

Again, they chuckled at their childishness. Ga Eul slammed the pillow on Yi Jung's face again and pushed him to the bed. She tickled him endlessly while Yi Jung struggled into reaching her.

They laughed and laughed until they got tired. Ga Eul rolled over to the other side of the bed as her laughter died down. "That was funny." She claimed as she closed her eyes.

"Yeaaah and that's not the end of it yet." Ga Eul opened her eyes and gasped when she saw Yi Jung already above her, ready to attack. Another round of laughter came as Yi Jung tickled Ga Eul this time.

"Stop Yi Jung-ah!" Ga Eul managed to say in between her laughs. "Stop! Hey!"

Yi Jung did what he was told to do and looked at Ga Eul, pouting. Ga Eul sat down and looked at him. She giggled. "You don't look cute. You look ugly!" She teased.

"Haha!" Yi Jung mocked a laugh. "You really don't want that to end, do you?" Yi Jung raised her hand, ready to tickle her again.

"No, wait! Stop!" She giggled. She slammed the pillow on his face again. Yi Jung raised his eyebrow and reached for the pillow beside him. "Waaaait! No. Let's sleeeeep." She grinned.

"No fair." Yi Jung pouted. Ga Eul giggled and leaned over to give him a quick peck on the lips. "Fine." They chuckled once again as they collapsed on Ga Eul's bed.

Yi Jung scooted to Ga Eul's side. Ga Eul leaned to his chest and relaxed herself. Yi Jung wrapped his arms around her and kissed her head.

"Good night Ga Eul-yang…" He whispered.

"Good night." Smiling, Ga Eul whispered as she closed her eyes. Yi Jung smiled. He reached for his phone and looked for a certain number in his contacts. Smiling, he sent a message to his best bud as he looked at the lovely girl in his arms.

_Thank you bro._


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer:** Boys Over Flowers doesn't belong to me. I own no copyrights over them whatsoever. All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Light seeps through the windows. For a start, Ga Eul woke up feeling the coldness of her air conditioned room. Yawning, she stretched her arms and legs. After that, she suddenly felt something move beside her. She raised her eyebrow and as if on cue, someone's hand trapped her on the waist and pulled her closer. It was then that she recalled the events last evening. She smiled as she remembered everything, from the thugs all the way to the tickling.

She turned to the man beside her. She can't possibly imagine her life without him. Even when they were apart for a few years, she still remembers telling stories about him to her business associates or a person she met at a conference. Slowly, her hands traveled to his face. She studied his face by leaning closer to him. She touched his eyes, nose and lips and then cupped her cheek. He looked like an angel while sleeping. Her angel.

When Yi Jung started to stir, she gasped. Suddenly, Yi Jung opened his eyes and caught Ga Eul staring at him. She blushed like an innocent child caught in a devilish act. She quickly looked away but Yi Jung chuckled and pulled her even closer if that's possible.

"Good morning, Ga Eul-yang." He whispered to her ear which sent shivers trickling down her spine.

"Morning." She managed to reply. She turned to him again and smiled. With that, Yi Jung leaned closer and rubbed his nose to hers.

"I wish I can spend every morning like this with you." Yi Jung said sweetly.

"Well, you practically spend most of your time sleeping in my room when we were little, you know." She teased and stuck her tongue out. Yi Jung chuckled and pinched her nose.

"Oh, you really know how to ruin the moment, Ga Eul."

"Yah!" Ga Eul playfully shouted. She sat down on the bed while Yi Jung followed. Yi Jung hugged her from behind and leaned his head on her back. He closed his eyes while feeling her soft but rhythmic breathing. Ga Eul blushed at his touch. This was new to her. It was the first time Yi Jung held her like this. She liked it and she wants to be used to moments like this with Yi Jung. Every single day, she wants to spend her time with him. It was like she was slowly planning her life with him.

She puts her hands on top of his, feeling the warmth of it. She, too, closed her eyes. It was surreal how the both of them ended up together. She didn't really thought about something like this would happen between them. She always thought of Yi Jung as someone that would be beside her forever though in a friendly manner but then again, she really can't be sure back then. She didn't know what love really means. It wasn't like she thought about love when she was young. Never had she thought about that subject because for one, she was sure that there would be a lot of heartaches and two, she thought that love will never last. Her family was probably the main reason for her beliefs and maybe… back then, she was afraid to fall in love. But now, this thing …was she really ready to have this special relationship with Yi Jung? It was her first time. She doesn't know how to cope up with the pain if Yi Jung left her. She was scared and she was unsure.

"Yi Jung-ah." She softly called out.

"Hmmm?" He responded.

"Don't leave me, okay?" It was pleading, almost desperate kind of tone.

Ga Eul felt Yi Jung move from behind her. He released her and he turned Ga Eul to face him. "I won't ever leave you… I never had and never will. You can trust me." He assured her.

"I'm afraid." There. She said it. She felt her tears threatening to flow from her eyes. Yi Jung's eyes softened at what she said. Why was she afraid? Didn't she trust him? As if Ga Eul read his mind, she answered, "I trust you Yi Jung-ah… It's just that… Growing up I had to see so many failed relationships to the point that I don't know if love really exists but I learned this new feeling I have when I'm with you and I… I don't really know how to deal with it. I don't know what happens next."

Yi Jung searched for her hand and intertwined it with his. He gave her a soft smile. He looked through her eyes and he saw fear and pain. She was that afraid? Well, he knows what his goal is now. He needs to prove Ga Eul that he won't ever leave her. She needs to realize that his love for her is true, everlasting and unconditional. He will do anything for her. Anything.

"Ga Eul-yang… Don't worry. I understand. I'll help you slowly open up your heart. I'll help you be strong. We're in this together. It's not just you and it's not just me. It's us." He squeezed her hand and he reached for her. He enveloped her into his arms and there, he let her cry and pour all her fears out. In every tear she shed, he tightened his grip on her to let her know that he's here for her. He's there for her to lean on. They're in this relationship together.

_Together forever._

J J J J :P

"So Ga Eul-yang, where do you want to go today?" Yi Jung asked. He took a bite of his bread smothered with strawberry jam.

Munching her own piece of bread, Ga Eul raised her eyebrow. "Whuff?" She muffled. She swallowed her food after realizing what she said. "I mean, what?"

"I said where do you want to go today?" Yi Jung asked again.

"Oh…" Her lips slowly formed into a little 'o'. "I have work today…" She said slowly, feeling guilty that she won't spend time with Yi Jung.

"Took care of it." Yi Jung told her teasingly as he sticks his tongue out. "I called Shin Hee today. I told her to cancel all your appointments."

"Mwoh?" Ga Eul blurted out. "Yi Jung-ah!"

"Well, I wanted to spend time with you… Didn't you want to?" Yi Jung scrunched up his face and he can feel a pang of pain at Ga Eul's expression.

"No!" Ga Eul immediately shouted. "Of course I want to… It's just that I haven't been to work a lot lately..." She said thoughtfully. "But okay then… I'll cancel all my meetings for the week then."

Yi Jung grinned at her and continued enjoying his food. Wow. A whole week with her. This will be the most amazing week of her life. He can feel it. He could already imagine the places he and Ga Eul will go to. Just the two of them.

"I want to go to the zoo." Ga Eul spoke up out of nowhere. She smiled at him. "Can we go there?"

"Of course we can." Yi Jung agreed and stood up from his seat. "I'll go home. I'll pick you up by 10." He walked over to her and kissed her cheeks. "See you later, Ga Eul-yang…"

J J J J :P

"Pandaaaaa!" Ga Eul squealed and grabbed Yi Jung's hand. Ga Eul's been running around the zoo like a child the whole time they've been there. She was wearing a pink dress with a red ribbon tied around her waist. It accentuated her curves and she top it off with pink dull shoes and a pink hat though the bag she brought with her was a little off. It was a small black backpack that was easy to carry but she looked lovely nonetheless. Yi Jung, on the other hand, wore a blue striped long-sleeved polo and a navy blue vest. He wore his usual black pants and black leather shoes.

From every area they've been to, people kept staring at them. Some even whispered loudly like, "Aren't they the ones in the news? They look cute together!", "Aw, is that So Yi Jung? Is that his girlfriend? How lucky!", "I'm jealous! I wish I had a boyfriend like that.". Some took a few photos of them holding hands and some even asked them if they're together. Although there have been a lot of that, Ga Eul and Yi Jung stayed smiling and happily enjoyed their trip to the zoo.

"Look at that!" Ga Eul squealed once more. "It's cuuuuuuute!" She took out her camera again and took pictures of the cute little panda she saw. She smiled widely and tapped Yi Jung shoulder. "Picture!" Yi Jung smiled and willingly obliged. He find it really cute that Ga Eul's acting like a carefree child. She was great like this. He admits that she's cute when she's crying but nothing can top her lovely face when she's smiling.

They took a few more pictures of themselves until Ga Eul saw another animal and grabbed Yi Jung's hand. After a few more animals, they stopped and sat down on a bench. Ga Eul continuously laughed. "That was fun!" She squealed.

Yi Jung chuckled at her behavior. She was so carefree. She was… happy and he was glad that it was because of him. He was glad that he can make her happy like this. "Ga Eul-yang… It's like your first time in a zoo."

"I haven't been in a place like this for a long time!" She explained. She couldn't keep the smile off her face. She was really happy spending time in the zoo without worrying about work.

She scanned through the crowd and she saw a cotton candy stand. She quickly stood up and ran over to the stand. Once she got there, she ordered two. Surprised, Yi Jung shook his head disbelievingly and smiled to himself. He's going to get used to this from now on. He stood up and followed Ga Eul to the stand.

Before he even got there, Ga Eul held out the cotton candy to him. He took it and pinched a small portion of the cotton candy. He brought it to his mouth and let it melt. It was sweet, just like his Ga Eul.

"So?" Ga Eul was looking at him expectantly. She was watching Yi Jung as he eats his cotton candy.

Confused, Yi Jung raised his eyebrow. "So what?"

"So what do you think? Is it good?" Ga Eul asked, unsure of what Yi Jung will answer.

Yi Jung can't help himself but chuckle. "Of course it is. For your information, Ga Eul-yang… I already tasted something like this. You haven't remembered?"

Ga Eul scrunched up her nose and tried to recall that memory.

"Oh! Got it!" She said after a minute. "I was crying back then and then you treat me to cotton candy to stop me from crying…" She said slowly.

Yi Jung smiled at her and grabbed her hand. "Let's go for a walk."

Ga Eul nodded her head. The couple started sharing their most memorable childhood stories as they roamed around the zoo once more. "Remember that time when I wanted this book so badly?" Ga Eul excitedly asked.

Delighted, Yi Jung proudly answered. "And I bought that book for you because you were crying at the bookstore. You forgot your wallet in the car and you wanted to buy so many things. I ended up using up my credit cards because you practically bought the whole mall! We were only 10 back then!" Yi Jung chuckled.

"Yah! I didn't really buy the whole store."

"Yes you did!" Yi Jung stuck her tongue out.

Ga Eul playfully punched Yi Jung's arm. "No I didn't! I only shopped at the department store. I never really had an interest in those expensive branded things like Gucci even if Omma would tell me that I should have a lot more of that in my closet."

"Yeah…" Yi Jung agreed. "That was the most amazing thing about you. You never engulf yourself in those things like what most rich girls would."

Ga Eul blushed at his statement. She quickly looked away. She gazed at her surroundings. They stayed silent for a while and enjoyed the view before them.

It was just then that Ga Eul noticed a little girl sitting on a bench, crying. Ga Eul's eyes softened. She released Yi Jung's hand and approached the little girl. She has a feeling about the little girl.

"Hey…" She called out softly. She knelt in front of the girl and gently touched her arm. "Hey… little girl… Why are you crying? Are you lost?"

The girl put down her hands that were covering her face. The girl's face looked puffy but she was beautiful. She looked at Ga Eul. She pouted her lips as it began to quiver. "I can't find my Appa." She cried. A new batch of tears came pouring down her cheeks.

"Your appa? Is he here with you?" Ga Eul asked once more. She can't believe that a father would leave his daughter like this. Yi Jung, who followed Ga Eul, knelt beside her and his own eyes softened upon seeing the girl.

"No…" The girl trembled. "I'm with Omma. I looked for Appa, he's gone for days. Omma says he's at work but I said no. I walked and walked. Then Omma was gone too." She explained.

"Oh…" Ga Eul looked at Yi Jung who was also looking helpless. "Should we take her home with us? She's alone. We can't leave her here." She said.

Yi Jung nodded his head encouragingly. Ga Eul turned to the girl again who was looking around, probably scared. "Hey, what's your name little girl?" Ga Eul asked.

"I'm Jae Hee." The little girl responded.

"Do you want to come with us? I'm Ga Eul. I'm a friend. I won't hurt you." Ga Eul slowly said.

Hesitant, the girl nodded her head.

_There's something in this girl that makes me want to take care of her. _Ga Eul thought.


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer:** Boys Over Flowers doesn't belong to me. I own no copyrights over them whatsoever. All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

"So what's your name again?" Ga Eul asked gently as she put down a tray of drinks and food for the three of them. She sat down beside her on the were in Ga Eul's place now and Yi Jung was silently watching the two girls in front of her.

"Jae Hee." The girl smiled as she replied to Ga Eul. The girl actually had a resemblance to Ga Eul. She had her eyes. The girl has dimples in each of her cheeks that shows when she smiles. She was practically a darling to look at. Her cuteness was indescribable. Even Ga Eul fell inlove with her the moment she showed her dimples. Ga Eul found it adorable.

"Jae Hee, what's your Omma's name?" Ga Eul asked again. She needs to find the parents of this girl so they wouldn't be worried that she's gone missing.

"Omma." Jae Hee replied simply.

"No, I mean her name. What's her name?" Ga Eul questioned.

"Omma." Jae Hee shrugged. She scrunched up her face in a way that lets you know she was confused.

"Try to ask the name of her Appa." Yi Jung suggested from behind Ga Eul.

"Well, Jae Hee, how about your Appa? What's the name of you Appa?" Ga Eul smiled encouragingly at her.

"Appa." Jae Hee said. This time, she wrinkled her forehead as if she was thinking about something. "Don't know. I call them Appa, Omma."

"Oh gosh…" Ga Eul looked meaningfully at Yi Jung. "How could we take her to her parents if she doesn't even know her name?"

Yi Jung frowned at her. He seems not to know what to do too. "I don't know. How old is she anyway?"

"Yah! I've been doing all the talking. Why don't you ask her?" Ga Eul told him, irritably. She's beginning to stress out about the whole situation. Who knows, Jae Hee's parents might sue her if they misunderstood the situation.

Yi Jung frowned even more and walked over to the both of them. He sat down on Jae Hee's other side. He flashed her his most charming smile and asked, "Hey, Jae Hee, how old are you?"

Jae Hee grinned and put up three fingers indicating her age.

"Okay, do you know where you live?" Yi Jung continued questioning her.

"Big house!" Jae Hee answered excitedly, all the while showing her smile.

"Okay, do you know where the big house is?"

"Uhm…" Jae Hee scrunched up her face again. "No." She frowned at them and looks like she's beginning to cry. She looked down to her feet as if feeling guilty that she did something wrong.

"Oh, that's okay Jae Hee." Ga Eul assured her gently. "You want some cookies? Ga Eul-unnie made it." She pick one cookie from the plate and gave it to Jae Hee to eat. She gave her a soft smile. "Help yourself Jae Hee. Eat more cookies if you want." She then turned to Yi Jung and jerked her head.

She stood up from the couch while Yi Jung followed behind. They went to the corner of the room and started whispering.

"What are we going to do about her?" Ga Eul asked Yi Jung worriedly.

Yi Jung looked thoughtful for a second then her face lit up in a flash. "How about we go and talk to Woo Bin about this? He can help us find Jae Hee's parents." He suggested.

"Now, why didn't I think of that?" Ga Eul said approvingly. Yi Jung fished out his phone from her pocket as Ga Eul went over to Jae Hee again.

Yi Jung dialed a four-way call.

"Yo Yi Jung!"

"Yah! Yi Jung!"

"Yi Jung-ah."

"Yeah. Come here to Ga Eul's place now." Yi Jung answered plainly.

"Huh? What's up man?" Woo Bin asked.

"Just go here please. Especially you Woo Bin." Yi Jung said in finality before he hangs up.

:) :) :) :) :P

"So you don't really know what her parents' names are?" Woo Bin asked again.

"Nope. Jae Hee doesn't know. She claims she only knows them as Omma and Appa which is actually quite reasonable since she's only three." Ga Eul said.

"Oh, man. They would be hard to find." Woo Bin admitted. "It's not easy especially since we don't have any information about her parents so that goes along with we can't really find her house too."

"Aish." Jun Pyo cursed. "What are we going to do about her?"

"I'm going to keep her until we find her parents." Ga Eul announced.

"What?" Yi Jung exclaimed, looking at Ga Eul.

"Well, yes. I'm not going to leave her alone in the streets and anyway, there's something in this girl that I just can't seem to put a name on. It's just that I feel like I want to take care of her." Ga Eul told them. "So guys, just please help me find her parents." Ga Eul brought his puppy eyes in front of them.

"Fine." The F4 chorused. All of them rolled their eyes as Ga Eul showed her delighted face.

:) :) :) :) :P

"So Jae Hee, this is going to be your room for awhile until we find your Omma and Appa." Ga Eul informed her.

"But…" Jae Hee looked at her with pleading eyes.

Ga Eul's face softened as she approached Jae Hee and knelt in front of her. "Why Jae Hee?"

"Scared." She said as if she's going to burst out crying in a second.

"Oh…" Ga Eul looked thoughtful for awhile as she looked at Jae Hee's face. "Then, would you want to sleep in my room beside me?" She suggested.

Jae Hee's face lit up and she began to ran to the room beside her. She jumped to the bed and bounced up and down. Ga Eul, on the other hand, chuckled as she witnessed the scene in front of her.

Yi Jung arrived at Ga Eul's room and smiled at the sight before him. It was another time wherein he saw Ga Eul so carefree, so happy. He smiled to himself and began to take a few steps forward. He wrapped his arms around Ga Eul who was oblivious at his presence. Ga Eul jumped and shivered a little but smiled when she realized who it is.

"So… Are you going to be okay with Jae Hee?" Yi Jung asked her. "I think I'm going to stay home this evening."

"Hmmm…" Ga Eul hummed thoughtfully. "Why don't you stay here until Jae Hee's parents are found?" She smiled as she turned around to face him.

Yi Jung gave her his heart warming smile that Ga Eul was now beginning to love. "You like this girl, don't you?"

Ga Eul nodded her head as response as Yi Jung ruffled her hair and went to the jumping Jae Hee.

"Hey Jae Hee." Yi Jung softly called out. Jae Hee stopped jumping and collapsed on the bed. Yi Jung sat beside her and placed her onto his lap. "Do you want to go play with clay with Yi Jung-oppa tomorrow?"

Jae Hee excitedly nodded her head as Yi Jung also ruffled her hair. Jae Hee reminds her of the Ga Eul he used to play with. _Wow, she really has a resemblance of Ga Eul. _He thought.


	18. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer:** Boys Over Flowers doesn't belong to me. I own no copyrights over them whatsoever. All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

"WHAT? What do you mean you can't find her?" A man demanded, full of authority in his voice.

"S..Sir… We still don't have any lead of where she is." A guy in black attire stammered, clearly frightened at the man before him.

"Then don't stop looking for her! Go out! Now!" He shouted. After all the guys left, he inwardly groaned and punched the wall behind him.

"Hey… Calm down." A woman who was watching the scene earlier tried to soothe the man.

"How can I calm down if I don't know where my daughter is?" He yelled at her. The girl looked like she was in tears but the man didn't care.

"S..Sorry… It was my fault." The girl apologized.

The man just glared at her and walked towards the door. He slammed it hard as the girl broke down; tears started pouring out her eyes.

:) :) :) :) :P

"Ga Eul, why can't you just give her to the police?" Yi Jung asked the girl who was sitting in front of him.

"I don't know. I want to see her parents. I have this weird feeling that I need to." Ga Eul answered him in soft tone. She looked thoughtful for a second but quickly brushed it off.

Before Yi Jung could argue with her, Woo Bin stepped inside the receiving room with a bunch of files in his hands. "Yo Yi Jung! GaEul! I have the profiles of all the parents who have daughters who are missing and it's a lot."

"Eh?" Ga Eul widened her eyes and took the profiles in her hands. "Wow…"

"Yeah. Wow. It will be pretty hard to look for her parents considering we don't even know her own surname." Woo Bin told them. "Ji Hoo and Jun Pyo will be here in a few minutes. I think Jan Di will come with Ji Hoo since that soon-to-be wife of Jun Pyo's will be pestering him nonstop from work if he didn't say what's happening. I assume you didn't even tell her about Jae Hee?" Woo Bin raised his eyebrow and shook his head.

Ga Eul nodded her head in realization. She parted her lips as if to say something but she didn't know what to say. "And Jun Hee-noona kept pestering me and Jun Pyo in the phone on what's happening. She says if we don't tell her she will fly back in Korea from New York."

"Oh god." Ga Eul groaned and she expected Woo Bin to say more and he did, unfortunately.

"Seo Hyun also kept pestering Ji Hoo over the phone. She dramatically said we're leaving her out of everything. She didn't even know about the issue between you and Yi Jung until Jun Hee-noona told her all about it." Woo Bin finished with a sigh.

"Aish." She cursed. "Why oh why is my life turning out like this?" She said to no one in particular.

"Hey… Are you implying that 'us' is not a good thing?" Yi Jung frowned disbelievingly at her.

"No! Yi Jung-ah! It's not that." Ga Eul countered. "You know what's coming, don't you?"

Sighing, Yi Jung nodded his head. "Alright." He clasped his hands and looked at Woo Bin and Ga Eul. "I'm going out with Jae Hee while you're looking for her parents. We'll be doing some pottery in my studio."

"Yah! Shouldn't you be joining us in our search?" Ga Eul raised her eyebrow at him while crossing her arms in front of her.

"Well, no. I promised Jae Hee yesterday, remember?" He argued.

"Fine." Ga Eul pouted. "I'll drop by at lunch. I'll bring some food from the restaurant."

Their conversation was cut off when Jun Pyo, Jan Di and Ji Hoo arrived.

"Yah! Yi Jung! Woo Bin!" Jun Pyo called out.

"Ga Eul-ah!" Jan Di excitedly rushed over to Ga Eul's side as Jun Pyo and Ji Hoo settled themselves beside Woo Bin and Yi Jung.

"Yah, Ga Eul. Talk to noona. She's such a bother ever since she knew about Jae Hee." Jun Pyo told her in an irritated tone.

"Yes, I will. Sorry about that Jun Pyo." Ga Eul looked apologetically at him and then turned to Jan Di. "Sorry too Jan Di-yah."

"It's okay." Jan Di smiled brightly at her before she turned to Jun Pyo to glare at him. "But, you owe me some stories." She looked sideways at Yi Jung.

"Oh, that." Ga Eul laughed nervously. "Yes. Okay. I will." Jan Di grinned at her as Ga Eul turned to the others.

"Guys, please do help me find her parents. Here are the profiles Woo Bin collected." Ga Eul handed them the files she was holding. She looked meaningfully at them.

:) :) :) :) :P

Ga Eul, Woo Bin, Jun Pyo, Ji Hoo and Jan Di were walking at the plaza, each holding a piece of paper.

"Okay, here's Park Min Shi. She lives just a few blocks from here." Ga Eul robotically said as she looked through the paper she was holding. "Kaja!" She looked at the others who just nodded in response.

When they arrived at the house, it was a simple house with a garden surrounding it. It is painted peach and it looks like the people who are living in it were friendly ones. Ga Eul rang the doorbell just beside the gate and after a few minutes, a girl who was about 18 years old came out from the door. She was wearing a pink dress and pink flat shoes. She looks like she's about to go somewhere.

"Who is it?" The girl politely called out to them.

"Uhm, I'm Chu Ga Eul and these are my friends, we're here about your missing sister. Can we talk to your parents?" She asked gently.

"Oh my, do you have any lead about my daughter?" She said and rushed over to the gate. Ga Eul looked at the others who also widened their eyes at what they heard. How can this young girl be a mother? She was even younger than them!

She opened the gate for them and she excitedly pulled Ga Eul, who was still in shock, to the house. Once they were inside, Min Shi asked them to sit down while she got some drinks and snacks for them.

"I think she's not the one. It can't be." Jan Di whispered so that only they can hear. The others agreed automatically.

"My husband is at work."Shel told them as she brings a tray with glasses and a plate of cookies. "Here, help yourselves. I'm sorry. I'm actually going to the police station today. It's a good thing you came before I left."

Ga Eul laughed nervously and looked pleadingly to the others. Ji Hoo, oh bless his soul, spoke up first. "Excuse me, but—"

"So where's Eun Hea? Is she with you?" Min Shi told them with delighted eyes. It was clear that she was longing for her daughter and with that, it was pretty hard to break the sad news to her.

"Eun Hea? Who's she?" The ever so dumb Shinhwa heir asked. Jan Di elbowed him that caused Jun Pyo to yelp.

"My daughter." Min Shi raised her eyebrow at them.

"Mwoh? Ga Eul, I thought the kid's name is—" Again, Jan Di elbowed his ribs but this time harder.

"Excuse me ma'am. I think we went to the wrong house. I'm sorry for the misunderstanding but the child's name is Jae Hee." Ji Hoo bowed. "I'm sorry for the bother."

"What?" Min Shi cried. Her tears flowed from her eyes and she can't stop herself from crying. "She's gone for two days and we don't know where the hell she is." She sobbed.

"I'm sorry." Ga Eul looked at her apologetically. "We're really sorry miss."

"Just get out of my house. Please." She cried as she put her hands in front of her face.

All of them bowed in front of her except for Jun Pyo who looked pitifully at her. They left the house quickly with guilt. Sighing, Ga Eul faced all of them with saddened eyes. "I guess we will see more of that."

:) :) :) :) :P

Yi Jung was waiting patiently for the maids to finish dressing Jae Hee. He was thinking about Ga Eul. Why did she have a soft heart for this young girl? He had this feeling that something bad will happen if Ga Eul continues this. He felt that the moment Ga Eul insisted on finding the girl's parents for themselves. He was meaning to talk to Ga Eul about this but she looks so happy with Jae Hee. He can't break her heart by arguing with her. They just finished a huge fight a few days ago. He can't bear another one.

His train of thoughts was interrupted when a maid approached him with a bow. "Excuse me Master So but we found this in Little Miss' clothes before we washed it."

Yi Jung raised his eyebrow in confusion as the maid handed him a locket. Yi Jung nodded his head at her indicating that she can leave him now.

He looked at the thing he was holding. It was a small white gold locket that has an engraved Japanese character in front. What's this? Does Jae Hee come from a Japanese family?

Slowly, Yi Jung opened the locket and gasped at what he saw.

"No way…" He breathed.


	19. Chapter 19

**Disclaimer:** Boys Over Flowers doesn't belong to me. I own no copyrights over them whatsoever. All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

"Oppa!" She giggled again while she mashed the clay before her. Yi Jung chuckled with her as he dab some clay to Jae Hee's arm. He kept smiling all throughout his day with Jae Hee but of course, he can't stop thinking about what he knew earlier. He didn't know how to tell Ga Eul. He perfectly knows how she would react. He can almost see it clearly in his head.

His train of thoughts was interrupted when Ga Eul opened the door of his studio. "Hey! Got some food with me!" Ga Eul called out while holding out two bags that contained something from the restaurant.

Yi Jung stood up and helped Ga Eul with their lunch. He set up the table while Ga Eul approached Jae Hee by the potter's wheel.

"Hey little Jae Hee." Ga Eul said softly. She tucked Jae Hee's hair behind her ear and Jae Hee looked at her still playing with the clay. Jae Hee grinned brightly and held up some clay in front of Ga Eul.

"Look!" Jae Hee exclaimed. Ga Eul smiled at her and looked at the mess Jae Hee made. She patted Jae Hee's head.

"That's nice little Jae Hee." She replied.

Yi Jung witnessed all of this, how Ga Eul is slowly becoming attached to Jae Hee, how she was happy being with her. All of it. So now, he really doesn't know what to do.

"Yi Jung-ah." Ga Eul called out. Yi Jung shook his head when he heard Ga Eul's voice.

"Hmm?" He replied softly as he proceeded on setting up their food.

"Nothing. Are you okay?" Ga Eul said in an obviously concerned voice. "Did you have a hard time taking care of Jae Hee?"

"Nope. She's pretty nice to be with." Yi Jung looked at Jae Hee then back at Ga Eul. He finished setting the table and clasped his hands. "Okay. Done. Let's eat." He smiled lovingly at Ga Eul and Jae Hee as both ran to the table to eat their lunch.

J J J J :P

Yi Jung took a left turn and then a right. He drove his car to the gate house of the subdivision and just flashed his smile to the guard. It was all he needs to enter the subdivision.

The subdivision has a nice and lovely aura in it. There's no doubt that it is a place where rich people live. The houses have different looks that are clearly designed by the most famous architects. It was a breathtaking view but of course, it has no effect on Yi Jung. He can see places like this anytime he wants to.

Yi Jung stopped at a peach house with a huge gate. From all the houses Yi Jung passed by, this house was the biggest he has seen.

He turned off his engine and went out of the car. He took of his sunglasses. With his light blue polo and black vest, he walked to the ring the doorbell.

After a few minutes, a maid opened the door to him. He flashed his famous smile and the maid's face turned red instantly. Oh, the magic of So Yi Jung.

He faked cough when he realized that the maid started staring at him. Eventually, the maid shook her head but the red on her face was still there. "May I help you?" Her voice was stuttering, it made Yi Jung chuckle inside.

"Uhm… May I see Jae Hwa-sshi?" He asked politely. "I'm a friend of hers back in high school."

"Uhm. Sure. Please come in." The maid bowed and showed him inside.

Yi Jung looked around. There was a huge garden surrounding the place. _Still the plants lover, I see. _He thought. There were different kinds of flowers that brought color to the place and it was lovely in its own way.

The maid showed Yi Jung to the receiving. She was still flushing red at the sight of Yi Jung. She bowed at him again. "I'll be calling Madam Choi. Please wait here."

The maid quickened her pace and she seemed like calling the other maids to see who the visitor was. It did not take long enough that the maids started peeking at the receiving room and Yi Jung can't help himself but chuckle. He can't get used to this reaction by the ladies because all his life, there was only one girl in his mind and heart.

After a few minutes, the maids dispersed from the hallway. Obviously, their Mistress came and told them to get out of the way because Yi Jung can hear some hisses coming from their direction.

A young lady with elegance stepped inside the room. She was wearing a huge t-shirt and shorts. _She's still the same… _Yi Jung thought to himself. She was not wearing any make-up but she was beautiful nonetheless. She was barefooted but Yi Jung guessed that she didn't care. It was how she is ever since they were in high school.

Jae Hwa looked at Yi Jung and she was immediately frozen on her tracks. It was so unexpected that Yi Jung was there inside her house. It has been years since she last saw him. Yi Jung let out a smirk and mocked salute at her.

"Nice to see you again, Jae Hwa." Yi Jung said in a gentle tone.

"Yi…" Jae Hwa can't seem to utter even his name. She was so shocked. All the memories from the past came inside her head at once.

Yi Jung chuckled but then his laughter died down just as soon as it came out. "You forgot my name? It's been a long time." Yi Jung said in a teasing tone.

Jae Hwa managed a smile at that. "It's a pleasure to see you again, Yi Jung-sshi. What's up?"

Yi Jung smiled once more. "Well, can I sit down before I tell you?" He asked in a teasing tone once more.

"Of course. Please sit down." Jae Hwa said as she walked towards the sofa across Yi Jung. It was then that Yi Jung noticed that her eyes were puffy and she seemed like she hasn't slept for days.

"What happened?" Yi Jung said worriedly. He pointed to her eyes before Jae Hwa let out a sigh.

"Ah… You're still observant Yi Jung." She told him. "It's a long story."

"I've got the whole day. Why don't you tell me?" Yi Jung persisted. With a sigh, Jae Hwa obliged.

J J J J :P

"Yah, Ga Eul-ah, you've been pacing to and fro since about… 2 hours ago!" Jun Pyo exclaimed. "What are you so anxious about?" He asked irritably. Jan Di, who was beside her fiancé, nudged Jun Pyo's chest with her elbow roughly. Jun Pyo yelped but said nothing. He gave a glare to everyone in the room who were now laughing at him.

Sighing, Ga Eul finally sat down beside Jae Hee who was playing with her newly bought toys. "It's Yi Jung. He hasn't called or even messaged me since this morning. It's already 7pm. I'm worried." Ga Eul explained.

"Oh, don't worry about Yi Jung. Maybe he has errands to do or something." Woo Bin assured her.

"But…" Ga Eul was abruptly cut off when two girls went inside the room.

The two girls grinned at them. "We're not going to miss the party anymore. So what's up guys?"


	20. Chapter 20

**Disclaimer:** Boys Over Flowers doesn't belong to me. I own no copyrights over them whatsoever. All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

"Aw, isn't that cute?" Jun Hee said for the nth time. She can't seem to get over the fact that Jae Hee is the most darling child she has ever seen. Everything about Jae Hee was praised by Jun Hee. There's no doubt that Jun Hee loves children especially when they are as cute as Jae Hee.

Jun Pyo rolled his eyes at his sister. He's been doing that ever since Jun Hee and Seo Hyun crashed at Ga Eul's place. His sister can be really annoying sometimes but he loves her nonetheless. "Yah! Noona! Stop staying that." He said annoyingly.

With that, Jun Hee only glared at Jun Pyo to make him stop ranting and whining. The others stifled their giggles as they watched the two siblings argue once again. Same old. Same old.

About a few minutes ago, Jun Hee and Seo Hyun appeared suddenly in front of them. All of them were shocked to see the two of them. Of course, they've been gone for years now because of some business matters abroad so it's a miracle that they found time to bond with them once again. Now, their family is complete except… Yi Jung.

Though everyone's really glad that their two noona came back as a surprise, Ga Eul can't help but stay worried about Yi Jung. Why hasn't he called her yet? Is he gone missing again? Why can't she figure out where he's gone? She's been calling since that morning and she even dropped by at his studio. But there's no sign of Yi Jung. Where is he? New fear rushed over her as she kept wondering about Yi Jung. Her boyfriend should have called now. She sighed. Maybe… maybe Yi Jung was doing something important that he doesn't want to be bothered.

"Ga Eul-ah?" Jun Hee's voice broke her reverie. Everyone's looking at Ga Eul's surprise expression.

"Uh… yeah?" Ga Eul said tentatively.

"Well, you're not with us ever since we came. Is something the matter?" Jun Hee asked worriedly. The others nodded in agreement. Ga Eul slowly looked around her and sighed. There's no point in hiding anything from them.

"It's Yi Jung." Ga Eul said. "He's not contacting me ever since this morning. It got me worried. He left even before I woke up and he hasn't left any note or something."

"Oh." Jun Hee seemed to have contemplated that for awhile while the others looked thoughtful at what Ga Eul just said. Yeah. Where's Yi Jung? Even his own girlfriend doesn't know where he is. Finally, Jun Hee spoke up before they get into weird conclusions. "Uhm, he would call you later. Trust me. He won't last a day without talking to you." Jun Hee said in a firm tone.

Though Ga Eul considered her statement, there's still something bothering her so she just nodded but didn't let go of that thought.

J J J J :P

"Good afternoon, appa." Yi Jung politely said at the man before him. The man that he once admired but thinking about Ga Eul, he just couldn't stop himself from hating the man.

"Yi Jung." He said in a deep voice. Though he looked firm, Yi Jung could tell that fear was dominating him. "What are you doing here?"

Yi Jung bowed before him while Jae Hwa watched intently from behind. She was scared. She was worried and she was shocked. All the emotions she can think of was washing over her. This encounter with Yi Jung was a lot of stress to her but she can't deny that she felt relieve and happy though at the same time, sad.

"I'm here to talk to you about Ga Eul." He said in a determined tone. With a sigh, the man agreed reluctantly. Well, sooner or later he has to face the mess he made and he thinks this was the right time after many years.

J J J J :P

It was a little past dinner time now but Yi Jung hasn't come home yet. Woo Bin promised her that he would go looking for him as soon as he came home.

"Unnie?" Jae Hee called out tentatively. Ga Eul forced a smile and raised her eyebrow.

"Hmm?"

"Hungry." Jae Hee blurted out. She pouted and touched her tummy. Ga Eul couldn't help but chuckle. Nothing can possibly be adorable than that.

"Sure, let's go down. Let's make some of that strawberry bread." She said happily but then she winced slightly when she remembered that it was Yi Jung's favorite. Another reminder of her boyfriend. Augh. Where is he?

Together, Jae Hee and Ga Eul went down to the kitchen. Ga Eul picked up Jae Hee and settled her on one of the high stools beside her counter. She pulled out some bread from the cupboard and strawberry jam from the refrigerator. She toasted the bread and once done, she spread the jam on it.

Jae Hee watched patiently as Ga Eul moved expertly around the kitchen. She can't remember seeing anything like that. All her life, she never went to the kitchen to watch their cooks prepare their meal. Of course she was not allowed. She was only three and she was an only child. Her father and mother will surely be careful about her. But seeing Ga Eul like that, she was highly amused. For a girl her age, she seemed to understand a little about what Ga Eul was doing.

She smiled delightfully as Ga Eul placed a plate full of bread in front of her. Ga Eul took one, split it in half and held a half out in front of Jae Hee. "Here." Jae Hee grinned at her and Ga Eul can't help but smile back. Jae Hee took the bread and started munching on her piece.

"Well, it seems like my two little angels are having fun here." A voice said from behind Ga Eul. Jae Hee giggled and immediately placed her bread on the counter.

"Oppa!" She called out. She spread her arms and her feet swayed impatiently as she waited Yi Jung to carry her.

"Hey Jae Hee." He said happily. Ga Eul watched as Yi Jung twirled Jae Hee around and settled her back again on the stool.

Yi Jung slowly turned to Ga Eul and gave her that heart-melting smile of his that Ga Eul couldn't resist. Ga Eul just pouted in front of him as Yi Jung began pulling her by the waist and gazed at her intently.

Oblivious to what was happening in front of her, Jae Hee hummed happily while munching her second piece of bread.

Yi Jung was leaning forward and was about to kiss her but Ga Eul was quick enough to pull out a piece of bread from the plate and put it in Yi Jung's mouth.

"Hey, watch it. You still have some explaining to do." Ga Eul glared at him. She pulled back and crossed her arms in front of her.

Yi Jung, still shocked from her childish behavior, raised his eyebrows innocently. Ga Eul pouted and looked away.

Yi Jung took a bite of the bread in his mouth. He quickly swallowed it and started to explain things to Ga Eul. "I have some errands to do. Sorry. I need the whole day to finish it and it's a short notice so I didn't warn you about it. It's about an exhibit we're going to do abroad and well, I'm really sorry." Well, that wasn't really a lie. Part of it was true.

"No notes? Phone calls?" She glared at him again and looked away.

Yi Jung smiled at her childishness. Now that's the Ga Eul he knows. "Sorry. I guess I just want you to miss me so badly." He said in a teasing tone.

"It worked, pabo." She huffed and turned to look at him. "Don't do that again." Her eyes softened and she lowered her hands.

"Okay. I won't." Yi Jung raised his right hand. "I promise." He grinned and began eating the remaining piece of bread that Ga Eul shoved into his mouth a few minutes ago. "Hmm. This is good."

After finishing with the bread, he pulled Ga Eul into a quick hug and stole a kiss from her lips. She blushed while he stuck his tongue out to tease her more. She huffed once again but she can't deny that she felt relieved and happy that Yi Jung's here now.

Yi Jung took her hand and they both turned to Jae Hee. A smile quickly formed on their faces as they witnessed the sight before them. It seems like little Jae Hee needs some clean up to do.


	21. Chapter 21

**Disclaimer:** Boys Over Flowers doesn't belong to me. I own no copyrights over them whatsoever. All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

"Wake up sweetheart…" He softly whispered into her ear. Just a few seconds ago, the captain told them that they just arrived to that beautiful place – New Caledonia.

The guys have been planning all week for their trip to New Caledonia. Although Ga Eul is still worried how Jae Hee will be found by her parents if they left for a trip, Yi Jung assured her that it would be just fine. At first, Ga Eul became suspicious as to why Yi Jung was so calm and collected about it. It seems like he doesn't even care if Jae Hee was found or not. She finally gave in when Yi Jung and the others kept pestering her about the trip.

Gu Jun Hee and Seo Hyun were really glad that Ga Eul let them bring Jae Hee to the mall to shop for her clothes for the trip. While Jun Hee was being taken care by them, Ga Eul and Yi Jung spent their time together at the park or even just enjoying themselves doing some pottery together. Aside from pottery, Yi Jung insisted that Ga Eul should revive her skills in sketching so they also spent their time sketching but always end up, Yi Jung sketching on what seemed like a raccoon even though he insists that it's a flower. Ga Eul had laughed at that.

Also, that week, Ga Eul seemed to notice something different about Yi Jung. After he had disappeared for a day, he was really happy all week but Ga Eul can see the flaw in his eyes. As usual, she can easily read him, if he's hiding something from her and she's sure, he has but she remained quiet and she just silently observed Yi Jung.

Slowly, Ga Eul stirred and rubbed her eyes. The first thing she saw was Yi Jung's loving eyes gazing at her. She couldn't help herself but smile knowing for a fact that she fell asleep in Yi Jung's arms and it's quite clear that he has been watching her sleep.

"We're here." He said gently. He smiled at the girl in his arms that looks so pretty even if her face was void of make-up. Ga Eul sat up and looked around her. All the others also just woke up. She glanced to where Jun Hee and Seo Hyun is and smiled when she saw Jae Hee safely in Jun Hee's arms.

"Yo guys! Let's go and have fun!" Woo Bin, in his usual ghetto accent, happily called out to them. They all chuckled and gladly agreed with him. They're pretty sure that it's going to be a blast.

J J J J :P

"Yaaaaah! Gu Jun Pyo!" Jan Di cheered her fiance. The F4 were playing beach volleyball while the girls were left watching by the sidelines.

Ga Eul, who was holding Jae Hee in her arms, also cheered her boyfriend but of course, she just can't beat Jan Di's voice. Jae Hee, on the other hand, didn't care about the game but only played with the sand under her feet. She kept pouring sand all over her feet. It made her giggle because she can feel the fine white sand sliding down over her legs.

After a few more serves from Jun Pyo and Ji Hoo's team, they called it a game. It was still a surprise to Jan Di that the F4 had a tie even though from the start that it was a close fight. They were equally good at the sport given that they all played it ever since they were kids.

"Whew! That was great!" Yi Jung laughed while bringing the cold bottle of water on his face. It felt cool on his hot skin. Beads of sweat were still forming all over the F4's body as they panted and sat on the sand beside the girls.

"Ewwwwww, can you guys change your outfits? It smells." Jun Hee said jokingly.

"Yah! Noona!" Jun Pyo tried counter his sister but failed when he, too, chuckled with the others.

"Let's go swimming." Ga Eul told them while standing up and carrying Jae Hee with her.

"Yup, that sounds good. Let's go and change." Jan Di seconded and followed Ga Eul to the direction of their rooms. Soon after, the others also followed them.

They changed their outfits into their swimming attires. Ga Eul wore a pink two piece swimsuit with the top ending just above her belly button. She topped it off with checkered polo and black shorts. Jan Di, however, preferred to wear a t-shirt and shorts for swimming. The girl's too conservative but Jun Pyo loved her anyway. Jun Hee and Seo Hyun wore their usual bikinis but topped it with see through blouses. The guys were with their usual swimming trunks but preferred to wear polo just in case they didn't want to swim yet. Ga Eul dressed Jae Hee in a cute blue one piece suit.

They all went to sit on the chairs and relax first since they were really not in a hurry to swim but Jae Hee was too excited that Ga Eul gave in to her wishes. She just applied sunscreen on Jae Hee's delicate skin and thank heavens, it wasn't that hot. Ga Eul removed her polo and shorts and shyly asked Yi Jung to apply the sunscreen on her back. She still wasn't used to Yi Jung's affectionate action towards her since they've only been official just a few weeks ago. Though Yi Jung's her best friend and he sometimes does these things to her when they were kids, it's still different when she knows that she feels something for him and vice versa.

After Yi Jung was done, he also asked Ga Eul to apply sunscreen on his back. He decided to go with the two of them and have a swim.

When they were all set, Ga Eul allowed Jae Hee to run along the shore while she and Yi Jung followed suit. Ga Eul ran and immediately carried Jae Hee when she was running deeper on the shore. She slowly sat down on the sand with the seawater halfway down her body. She kept her hold on Jae Hee while she happily played with the wet sand under her feet. Yi Jung sat in front the two of them and helped Jae Hee build the towering blob in front of her.

As they were playing with the sand, Jae Hee suddenly splashed water with sand to Yi Jung. She giggled as she saw Yi Jung's shocked face with his jaw dropped. Ga Eul couldn't help but giggle too when she saw his face. It was priceless.

The three enjoyed themselves for a few more minutes before Jun Hee and Seo Hyun snatched Jae Hee from them. "Shoo, go and enjoy yourselves." Jun Hee said in a teasing manner.

They smiled at her knowing full well that Jun Hee was trying to take Jae Hee away from them so that they can spend their time alone together.

Yi Jung stood up and offered his hand to Ga Eul. She willingly took it and also stood up. They walked to their seats and picked up a few towels to dry themselves.

After awhile, Ga Eul wore her shorts and polo again since she assumed that she was not that wet anymore.

"Let's go for a walk." Yi Jung pulled her hand for her to stand up but before she starts walking, she stopped in her track. Yi Jung looked at her with raised eyebrows while Ga Eul stared into space as if thinking about something.

"I think I forgot something." Ga Eul whispered, barely audible.

"Huh?" Yi Jung was about to ask what but Ga Eul was already back into her seat rummaging for something in her bag.

"Oh!" Relief washed over Ga Eul's face when she saw what she was looking for. She fished out something from her bag and held it out in form of Yi Jung. "What's a vacation without a camera?"

Yi Jung's jaw dropped in shock and amusement but he immediately composed himself and chuckled. "I thought… Oh, never mind." He chuckled at what Ga Eul just did and it earned him a questioning stare from her.

"What? What are you laughing at?" Ga Eul asked.

"Nothing. Let's go Ga Eul-yang." Yi Jung offered his hand once again and Ga Eul took it. They intertwined their fingers and Ga Eul can feel herself blush. It was the first time she felt this feeling inside her. It was like butterflies were slowly swallowing her stomach as she felt Yi Jung's hand in hers. She can get used to this, she thought.

Again, as they walked along the shore, Ga Eul stopped in her tracks and excitedly said, "Wait here, let's take a picture!" She held out the camera in front of her while her finger lingered on the button. She leaned her face near Yi Jung and smiled. "Smile!" Yi Jung obliged and grinned at the camera.

"Let's take a few more." Ga Eul requested. Yi Jung just smiled at her childish behavior and proceeded on doing some poses Ga Eul did. At their tenth pose, Yi Jung unexpectedly faced Ga Eul and landed his lips on her cheeks. This caused Ga Eul to blush and Yi Jung to stick his tongue out on her. She playfully hit his arm and blushed while looking away from Yi Jung.

With that, Yi Jung snatched the camera from her and took a picture of her pouting lips that he adores. "Awww, that was cute." Yi Jung teased her and began running away from her. Ga Eul laughed and ran after him while shouting, "Give that back, So Yi Jung!"

After a lot of running, Ga Eul stopped and tried to catch her breath. She panted while Yi Jung stopped and immediately walked over to her.

"Hey, are you okay?" He asked in concern. Ga Eul pulled the camera away from him quickly and took a picture of Yi Jung's priceless face.

"Ha! Caught you." She stuck her tongue out as she and Yi Jung laughed.

As they let their laughter die down, Yi Jung held both Ga Eul's hands which caused Ga Eul's mind to go crazy and stare mindlessly into his eyes. He took the camera from her and held it out in front of them and before Ga Eul could react he quickly claimed her lips and pressed the camera's button.

_No… I caught you Ga Eul-yang. _Yi Jung thought.

J J J J :p

The gang had dinner by seven in the evening. Ga Eul and Jun Pyo prepared the dinner since they were the only ones who really know how to cook. They were both assisted by sues chefs on the island.

Jun Pyo took his time preparing the dessert while Ga Eul cooked the main dish for the night, Pasta Alfredo but with a twist of pork and chicken and some other secret ingredients, one of Ga Eul's own recipe. She decided that it's best to have a simple meal that can be eaten healthy by all of them. Not to mention that she considered Jae Hee about the food.

Later on, though, she and Jun Pyo decided to cook another dish. Since they were on a beach, they went for some seafood. It was a simple dish of a huge mango and peach grilled together with shrimp and poured over by some white wine.

For the appetizer, Ga Eul tossed some salad with cubes of carrots, cucumber and tomato. Also, some iceberg lettuce was added and for the dressing was a mixture of olive oil, basil and parsley. Ga Eul preferred to add cheese, mangoes and shrimp for more taste. She topped it off with some lemon zest.

The guys clapped their hands when they saw what Jun Pyo and Ga Eul prepared for them for dinner. They helped themselves with the obviously delicious food in front of them. Ga Eul cut the pasta into little bits to feed Jae Hee with the creamy and milky food.

Yi Jung noticed that Ga Eul couldn't eat that much so he took the liberty into feeding her. Yi Jung tapped Ga Eul's shoulder to catch her attention and held out some pasta in front of her. "Say aaah!" Yi Jung said jokingly while shoving the fork into her mouth. Ga Eul willingly ate what Yi Jung fed her as she smiled lovingly at him.

She was really lucky to have a boyfriend like him not to mention they started off as friends. It really made things better between the two of them. At least they understood each other really well.

"Yah, Jan Di, feed me too!" Jun Pyo forced Jan Di. The others chuckled as they witnessed the two bickering about a simple thing again.

Jan Di, Jae Hee and Ga Eul dug in when the dessert was laid in front of them by the chefs. It was berry heaven for Ga Eul. A talk glass was filled with different kinds of berries and cream. She took her time tasting the said dessert while thinking what ingredients that were used. She needs to remind herself to ask the Jun Pyo about the recipe. She might consider innovating and adding it to one of her restaurants.

After dinner, all of them were so full that it took them some time to finally stand up and breathe in the fresh evening night. Ga Eul looked at Jae Hee who was slowly drifting off to sleep. She rocked her in her arms but then, fireworks were heard above them as Jun Pyo's surprise for Jan Di. Jae Hee eventually woke up and stared at where the noise came from. Her eyes twinkled and she clapped her hands at the pretty fireworks that continuously shot through the sky.

J J J J :p

Ga Eul walked along the beach under the bright evening sky. She got out of bed a few minutes ago because she can't sleep. She can't seem to know why but she was bothered by something. She can't put a finger on what it was.

Ga Eul sighed and settled herself on a rock. She gazed sadly at the sea as the waves crashed to the shore. The stars were bright and the moon was glowing but she didn't seem to care like she used to. She loved the nighttime sky very much ever since she was a kid but right now, she didn't took a bit of interest as she thought deeply about what was bothering her.

Oblivious to the fact that a pair of feet was approaching her, she sighed once more. She continued gazing at the sea as the guy stopped just a few inches near her. He faked a cough, asking for her attention. Ga Eul snapped her head up to see who it was and smiled widely at the guy.

"Yi Jung." She whispered.

"What are you doing here? It's ten in the evening. You should be resting." Her boyfriend took a seat beside her and he took a look at the sea too.

"I couldn't sleep. Something's bothering me. I just don't know what." Ga Eul admitted and sighed once again.

Yi Jung nodded in understanding but remained quiet. Slowly, he took Ga Eul's hand in his and he intertwined it without any hesitation. Ga Eul automatically leaned her head on his shoulder.

After a few more minutes of deafening silence, Yi Jung spoke up in soft and gentle manner. "Ga Eul-yang…" He started.

"Hmmm?" She prompted without shifting her position from him.

"What really happened? When you disappeared and stopped contacting us." He cautiously asked.

He felt Ga Eul stiffen and tighten her hold on his arm. Yi Jung waited until Ga Eul was ready to open up to her. He can feel that it was the right time for Ga Eul to tell him. She has been harboring all those feelings she had; she needed to let it out and this time, all of it.

"Jae Hwa…" Her voice came as a stutter but she continued anyway. "Jae Hwa was inlove with Appa…" She started slowly. "Jae Hwa was there for Appa. She found him in a bar, drinking. She comforted him and they ended up…" Ga Eul stopped and sobbed. She can't utter what she was about to say. Her tears continuously flowed from her eyes but she didn't care. She didn't shift from her position nor did she wipe it off from her face. Yi Jung understood and nodded. He already knew this but he wants Ga Eul tell him herself.

"Appa and Omma suddenly told me that they're going to separate. Of course, Omma now has a reason to divorce him. Appa can't leave Jae Hwa in that condition so they separated. Jae Hwa turned her back on me because she says she loves Appa. I felt betrayed. She was like a sister and she just left me together with Appa. You know how much I love Appa." Ga Eul sobbed and Yi Jung let her. He soothed her by encircling his arms around her and letting her lie down on his lap. He wiped those tears from her eyes.

"I didn't eat. I rarely sleep. I was depressed. I wanted to commit suicide." She stopped and took an intake of breath before she continued. "Omma didn't care and Appa and Jae Hwa weren't there. I wanted to tell you back then. I wanted to run away but Omma didn't let me go out. She says if anyone sees me it would ruin our reputation. Halmoni was mad at her for doing those things to me. So Halmoni kicked Omma out of the house and Halmoni tried to comfort me. After a month, I snapped out of it and Halmoni helped me recover. I took therapies and the medicines the doctor gave me.

I became different. I cut my hair. I dressed differently and I closed my heart. I focused my attention on work and tried to forget the past because I didn't want to be the weak Chu Ga Eul you all know. I tried to forget you guys…." Those words stung Yi Jung. It pained him more when he listened to what Ga Eul has to endure alone. "Eventually, my bad luck wasn't running out, Halmoni died…" She stopped. Yi Jung guessed that she tried not to stutter again. "The only thing I had left…" Ga Eul sobbed and Yi Jung wiped away her tears again. He can feel Ga Eul shiver so he leaned forward to tighten his hold on her. "It was a private funeral… I didn't want to let it out in public. I want Halmoni in peace. I didn't become depressed again. Halmoni's death became my motivation to work harder. As a Chu, I accepted all the responsibilities for Halmoni. I strived and worked hard to let the business grow. All for Halmoni." Ga Eul stopped and Yi Jung sensed that it was a sign for him to speak.

"Are you still mad at Appa and Jae Hwa?" He asked gently.

"No… I just don't want to see them again." Ga Eul stuttered. "I'm afraid to get hurt again when I remember the past. It's too much." She explained.

"But you need to face it sooner or later… You can't back out from reality."

"I know… I'm afraid…" Ga Eul closed her eyes as new batch of tears came pouring down her eyes. It pained Yi Jung to see her suffer like that. To see her hurt in front of him. To see her so weak and fragile.

"Ga Eul-yang… Do you still keep your locket? The one that's the same as Jae Hwa's?"


	22. Chapter 22

**Disclaimer:** Boys Over Flowers doesn't belong to me. I own no copyrights over them whatsoever. All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

It has only been a few minutes when Ga Eul and Yi Jung talked about Ga Eul's past. It pained Yi Jung to see Ga Eul so weak and vulnerable. He knows all about it but he never knew how much all of it affected Ga Eul. He didn't know that she suffered that much and because of that, he was now hesitating whether he should tell Ga Eul or not.

She told him awhile ago that she was still keeping the friendship locket she and Jae Hwa had. The locket had a Japanese character that means, "Sister". Jae Hwa gave that to Ga Eul right after they graduated from high school and she never forgets to wear it. But of course, the circumstances changed and Ga Eul locked it inside the chest she kept for all the memories she had with Jae Hwa. Yi Jung had the urge to finally let Ga Eul know all about Jae Hee but he refused. He could still remember Ga Eul's strained voice, _"Yeah. I still keep it... but... it's something I don't ever want to see again."_

Yi Jung stared at the sleeping figure beside him. He could feel the stress her past gave her. As he looks at her, he realizes that her past was something she couldn't handle. It was like a knife to her that every time she remembers, it stabs her continuously. He thought about the easiest way to break out the truth to her because he knows Ga Eul should know but he couldn't think of anything. He sighed and slowly, he cupped Ga Eul's cheek and caressed it with his thumb.

He glanced quickly at Jae Hee who was sleeping peacefully beside Ga Eul and as he did, he realizes that now that Jae Hee is becoming closer to Ga Eul each day, it would hurt her even more if she knows the truth.

J J J J :P

"Hmmm! Home sweet home!" Ga Eul shouted as she spread out her arms. The gang just arrived half an hour ago and as Ga Eul walks in her house, she couldn't help but feel delighted. There's nothing more relaxing than being in her home.

Behind her, Yi Jung chuckled. He held Jae Hee in his arms and they both watched as Ga Eul childishly ran upstairs, probably headed to her bedroom.

"Unnie!" Jae Hee called out to her. She tried to wiggle her way out from Yi Jung. He noticed this and he willingly released Jae Hee from his arms. Jae Hee followed Ga Eul upstairs as Yi Jung held onto her, concerned that she might fall from the stairs.

After a few minutes, Yi Jung suddenly brought Jae Hee in his arms again and ran to Ga Eul's room. Jae Hee giggled as she felt herself flying in Yi Jung's arms. They pushed open the door and they saw no one in the room.

Both of their faces fell. Where could Ga Eul be? They were pretty sure that she headed to her room. Slowly, Yi Jung put Jae Hee down and together, they walked inside her room. They took a look at the room and they saw no sign of Ga Eul being there. Just as they were turning back, Ga Eul emerged from behind the door.

"Boo!" She shouted. Yi Jung and Jae Hee were startled. When Ga Eul saw their reaction, she laughed really hard, clutching her stomach and kneeling on the floor. Their faces were priceless. It was epic!

Jae Hee frowned more and was in the verge of tears. She didn't like the idea of anyone laughing at her. Yi Jung glanced at her and noticed this. He knelt in front of her and told her not to worry. They were going to get revenge. As soon as he promised this, Jae Hee smiled and watched as Yi Jung picked up Ga Eul and tickled her endlessly.

"Stop! I'm sorry!" Ga Eul shouted in between her giggles. This time, her laughter was joined with Jae Hee and Yi Jung's.

When their laughter died down, Ga Eul sat on the floor with Yi Jung and Jae Hee. She looked at them and smiled widely. She had an idea. She's in the mood for more fun time. Honestly, she wasn't really tired from the trip and she wants to go out and have fun.

"Hey, how about going to the park? Let's have some picnic." Ga Eul suggested. Yi Jung looked at her dumbly as if she's not making any sense but Jae Hee squealed and agreed happily.

"Picnic!" She whined.

"Don't you two want to rest?" Yi Jung asked them.

"No." They chorused and stuck their tongue out. Yi Jung shook his head, thinking that they were really sisters. Not that they know about that... Not yet.

J J J J :P

Ga Eul watched as Yi Jung and Jae Hee played. Yi Jung ran after the laughing Jae Hee and when he got the hold of her, he twirled her happily.

Ga Eul fished her camera out of her bag and she took a picture of Yi Jung and Jae Hee's moment. Soon after, Yi Jung noticed Ga Eul taking pictures so he walked up to her with Jae Hee in his arms. He put Jae Hee down in front of Ga Eul and grabbed the camera from her.

"Let's take a picture of both of you." He smiled and took a few steps back. He aimed the camera at the two. Ga Eul and Jae Hee strike pose after pose and Yi Jung willingly took a picture of the two delightful girls in front of him, all his worries about them forgotten.

"Wait! How about the three of us?" Ga Eul stood up and set the camera into timer mode. She set it on a rock and pressed the button. She ran to the two of them and they posed like a happy family. They did this a few more times before Ga Eul got tired from running to and fro.

She collapsed on the picnic mat and positioned herself on Yi Jung's lap. She stared at the face in front of her. She sighed and thought about each moment she spent with him. She remembered lying in his lap like this when they were little. She didn't have any thoughts about liking him back then. They were just two kids living together in the world without any worries. It's no question that Yi Jung became her very best friend among the F4. He was always there for her when she cried. When she's sick, it was always Yi Jung who stayed up all night for her. When they were 9, he buys her her favourite ice cream and cake. She always open up to Yi Jung when she has problems because she knows she could trust him and he proved her that when Yi Jung told no one about any of it.

It's not that Woo Bin, Jun Pyo and Ji Hoo were not easy to talk to. She just gets along with Yi Jung really well. Sure, they have differences but they always solve that with understanding. She never knew she would see Yi Jung in this kind of way. She always thought of him as a brother and a best friend, never a lover. But as they spent these few weeks together, she realized that she always loved Yi Jung back then, she just never opened her mind and heart with that. She didn't know why. Maybe she was afraid that their friendship will be lost.

But right now, she didn't want to think about the past anymore because she has him now. Whatever happens, she's sure she will never let him go. Never. She didn't know if she could take it if she lost him. So Yi Jung is her life now. She's willing to spend her forever with him. She could only see, So Yi Jung and Chu Ga Eul, happy together, forever.

Her train of thoughts was interrupted when Yi Jung spoke up. "What are you thinking?" He asked curiously.

"Saranghae, Yi Jung-ah." Ga Eul said softly and smiled. "Saranghae."

J J J J :P

Ga Eul was about to shove some more strawberries in Yi Jung's mouth but a ringing phone interrupted them. "Hold on a sec." Yi Jung fished out his phone from his pocket and looked at the caller ID. "It's my secretary. I think it's about the museum; I need to take this call. I'm going to get some more drinks too. Wait for me here."

Ga Eul nodded her head while Yi Jung stood up from the picnic mat and walked to the direction of a small stall a few meters from where they are.

As Ga Eul watched Yi Jung walk away, she sighed and glanced at Jae Hee who was now sleeping soundly on her lap. She smiled at the thought of the girl. She was like her in so many ways and she couldn't help but think that she wants her to be her sister. Her thoughts led her to Jae Hee's parents' whereabouts. It has been days now and they haven't found them yet. Where could they be? Surely, they're finding Jae Hee right now but why haven't they heard anything about it?

As she was about to touch Jae Hee's cheek her face was blocked by a handkerchief and she was out of consciousness in an instant. Jae Hee woke up by the sound of the men around them and she, too, was blocked by a handkerchief.

Before the men could ride their van, Yi Jung saw them. "Yaaaah!" He shouted but a man shot him with a gun. Yi Jung knelt and clutched his bleeding arm. With all his might, he dialled Woo Bin's phone.

"Woo Bin-ah. Help." He said in his strained voice and then, he was out.


	23. Chapter 23

**Disclaimer:** Boys Over Flowers doesn't belong to me. I own no copyrights over them whatsoever. All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

She opened her eyes but she couldn't see anything. She thought she was still dreaming. She was still in the midst of walking into an endless tunnel with no lights, no hope, no Yi Jung. Apparently, though, she could feel her back aching and that confirmed her suspicions. She tried to shout but she only heard muffled sounds of her voice. She tried to move her hands but they were locked and tied behind her. She wants to stomp her foot but it was also tied and she could feel something sore near it.

She heard some sobbing and she saw a flicker of light just across the room. She could sense that the person was walking towards her because the light becomes larger and larger as she stared at it. And then, just bam, the lights went on.

At first, Ga Eul closed her eyes because of the blindness of the light. Gradually, she adjusted her eyes until she can see clearly what was going on. Images rushed through her head and finally, she remembered what happened. Men were all around her and Jae Hee and then all went black to her.

She gazed at her surroundings. There were men in black suits and she could tell that the place was an abandoned warehouse she sees in movies. She didn't think she would be one of those characters that would get kidnapped like this. Now she knew what it felt like.

She glared at the nearest man, the one holding a candle where the light came from earlier. He looked ugly and scary. Ga Eul thought he looked even monstrous with that smile he was giving her.

She began to shout again but to no avail. She could try and try but the cloth was tight around her mouth. The ugly man laughed and removed the cloth on her mouth.

"Who are you? Who did this? What the—?" She then stopped her shouting when the sobbing earlier got louder and louder. She glanced around the room and there, she noticed, Jae Hee was just across her, also tied up on a chair though it was small and Ga Eul wished hers wasn't as tight as the ropes around her.

"Release Jae Hee! You bastards! Jerks!" She yelled with all her might.

"Don't worry. If you're worried that she's hurt or something, she's not." The ugly man assured her. She doubted him, of course. How could she trust her kidnappers? Only idiots would do that.

"I don't care! Just release her will you!" She shouted once more.

"No can do missy. We're waiting for our boss' orders."

"Boss? Boss? Who's behind this?" Ga Eul's voice softened but it was still firm. She glared at the ugly man and before she could say anything else, she heard a voice behind the man.

"Me." It was familiar to her ears. It was the voice she used to hear when she was little. She only needs to look up to see the horror she would face so as brave as she is, she looked up and her world shattered, right there and then.

J J J J :P

"Ga Eul? Where's Ga Eul?" Yi Jung frantically looked at the white room he was in. He sat up abruptly that pain shot through his shoulder immediately.

"Yi Jung-ah, calm down please. It's not healthy for you." Ji Hoo tried to soothe Yi Jung.

"No, no. Where's Ga Eul? I need to find her." Yi Jung said. He was about to jump out from the bed but Ji Hoo, with the help of Jun Pyo, pushed him down.

"My men are doing the best they could." Woo Bin assured him. He, too, was concerned about Ga Eul's safety. Of course, of Jae Hee to since she became a part of the family now.

The gang is all inside Yi Jung's room right now. All of their faces were etched with concern. It was sudden news to them that Ga Eul and Jae Hee was kidnapped and it shocked them more that it was a few hours after they arrived from New Caledonia.

Yi Jung still didn't relax himself. He felt bad and guilty that he didn't even do anything to prevent the guys from taking away Ga Eul. He immediately fainted right after he was shot. It was unlike him but he guessed that maybe it was the stress that made him that weak. He didn't sleep at all the night before that happened.

"Yi Jung, do you remember any of the men?" Woo Bin asked.

Yi Jung thought carefully. He could see a vivid picture of the guy who shot him at the back of his mind. He didn't really see clearly his face so he gave up and shook his head, feeling worse than he already was.

"Don't worry about that bro. We're doing the best we can. We're also monitoring Ga Eul's phones in her house. Maybe the kidnappers would call or something." Woo Bin informed him.

Yi Jung could only nod his head and lie back down on the bed. Truth be told, he didn't feel like talking anymore. He could feel his body numb and his mind blank. He couldn't bring himself to think.

"Yi Jung-ah… do you want some food? Do you need anything?" Jan Di offered.

He merely shook his head. He stared at the ceiling and tried so hard to think of all the possible suspects or something. But then, his mind wandered to the image of Jae Hee. He sat up abruptly again but this time, he didn't care about the pain his shoulder was experiencing.

"We need to call Ga Eul's father." Yi Jung announced suddenly. It took all of them off guard but he had a point, her father needs to know what happened to her daughter. But still, they knew about some of the things that happened to Ga Eul's past, they couldn't really understand why Yi Jung would still want to call her father.

They stared at him, waiting for him to say something more. Fortunately, Yi Jung noticed their confusion that he sighed and narrated all the things he knew.

_Flashback J_

"… _so that's it. I left her. I admit I feel guilty doing that thing to Ga Eul but it was done. I can't go back. I already have Jae Hee inside me." Jae Hwa was in tears now. She stuttered the last words she said._

_Earlier, Yi Jung suddenly arrived at her house that not one of his past friends knew about. Of course, it puzzled her. What were Yi Jung's intentions? After so many years, why was he there?_

_She felt horrible. Her daughter was missing for at least two days and she didn't know where to find her. They were just spending some time at the zoo but she was gone when she looked away for a few minutes. Chu Hyun was really furious with her and he didn't want to talk to her until their daughter was found._

_Yi Jung patted her back. He felt sorry for her but he knew what he was about to say would make her happy so without anymore hesitations, he fished out something from his pocket, the white gold locket the maids' found in Jae Hee's belongings._

"_Here." Yi Jung dropped the thing to Jae Hwa's open palm. She gasped and her eyes widened._

"_How did you—?" She didn't have to finish her question. Yi Jung already had answers for that._

"_Ga Eul and I found Jae Hee at the zoo. The maids saw this in her clothes." YI Jung explained carefully. "We didn't kidnap her. Ga Eul just doesn't want to take her to the police. I don't know why. Maybe there's something in Jae Hee that she saw._

"_Ga Eul loves Jae Hee." Yi Jung continued while smiling. It also brought a smile in Jae Hwa's lips when she heard this. She felt lighthearted since Ga Eul found her way to Jae Hee or vice versa. It doesn't really matter to her. What matters here right now was Jae Hee was safe and sound and she was with her sister._

"_But… I have to ask you something though…" Yi Jung's smile turned into a frown in an instant. He turned serious and looked at her intently. "Please don't take Jae Hee away from her just yet."_

"_Eh?" She didn't expect that favor from him. She was clearly taken aback so she waited for his explanation._

"_I don't want her sad anymore and being with Jae Hee, it makes her happy." He said. "Give them a little more time to get to know each other. I know once she finds out, she might get hurt… really hurt but… I don't know… Maybe… just maybe… Jae Hee would bind you two again… and even Appa Chu._

_I know Ga Eul… She's gonna understand it sooner or later. I just want her to face her past and forget about it. Maybe some kind of closure? I don't know… I just know she needs this." Yi Jung looked down, thinking about Ga Eul._

_He heard Jae Hwa sigh beside him and he just knew he got her approval. "You really love her, don't you?" His lips curved into a smile and Jae Hwa was sure it was a 'yes'. "Ah, Yi Jung-ah… I always see you behind the scenes you know?" Yi Jung raised his eyebrow in confusion so she continued. "You send her flowers without telling her that it was you. You send her cards and gifts without telling her how you feel." She teased. "You always loved her and I always knew about it." She smiled and ruffled his hair like she used to when they were kids. "But you know Ga Eul, she's too dense to know about any of it."_

_Yi Jung had to agree with that. "Yes, she is." But before Yi Jung could say anything more, he heard the door opening so he immediately glanced up and came face to face with Chu Hyun. Jae Hwa quickly stood up and was behind him in an instant._

"_Good afternoon, appa." Yi Jung politely said at the man before him. The man that he once admired but thinking about Ga Eul, he just couldn't stop himself from hating the man._

"_Yi Jung." He said in a deep voice. Though he looked firm, Yi Jung could tell that fear was dominating him. "What are you doing here?"_

_Yi Jung bowed before him while Jae Hwa watched intently from behind. She was scared. She was worried and she was shocked. All the emotions she can think of was washing over her. This encounter with Yi Jung was a lot of stress to her but she can't deny that she felt relieve and happy though at the same time, sad._

"_I'm here to talk to you about Ga Eul." He said in a determined tone. With a sigh, the man agreed reluctantly. Well, sooner or later he has to face the mess he made and he thinks this was the right time after many years_

_Again, Yi Jung told him about his favor and about Jae Hee and Ga Eul's situation. Of course the man had to agree. His daughters. His precious daughters are together right now. He was delighted and happy but of course, he was worried about how Ga Eul would take it once she found out._

"_Just be sure… Yi Jung... That Ga Eul wouldn't be in deep pain when she finds out. That's the only thing I ask of you." Hyun told him._

_End of Flashback (:_


	24. Chapter 24

**Disclaimer:** Boys Over Flowers doesn't belong to me. I own no copyrights over them whatsoever. All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

"O…o.." She tried to call out but she couldn't. She just couldn't. Even though she doesn't like her at all, they're still related by blood and it pains her knowing that she was the one who kidnapped her. What does she want with her? It's been years since she last saw her.

The thing is, how could she do this to her? She knows she always hated her because she always thought that she was a mistake— a thing that was made only because of sexual desires. But it never crossed her mind that it will come this far.

She felt her tears slowly pouring from her eyes. She waited until she spoke once more. She stared into her mother's eyes— blazing with hatred and pity.

The woman in front of her took a few steps forward, not smiling and not looking away from her eyes. She stopped just a foot from her and then she leaned down.

"I guess you're mentally asking yourself what I want from you." She stopped and smirked. "Tsk, Ga Eul… What a stupid child… I knew you're worthless since you were born. The truth is, I want to abort you but the family of your stupid father…" She spat with all the years of hatred and frustrations coming out from her mouth. "… said that they'll sue my family if I did. I never love your father. He blinded my omma and appa with money that's why they arranged our marriage that fast. Pssh, what the rich do with the poor." She smirked as Ga Eul's tears poured from her eyes again.

"Well, thinking about it, you're not so worthless anymore right now." Ga Eul's tears stopped and her face filled with anger.

"What do you want?" Ga Eul composed herself. She stopped feeling weak and just firmly gazed at her. Whoever she is, she's not worth her respect anymore.

The woman laughed but it died as soon as it came out. That smirk on her face didn't leave. "Well, I'll get straight to the point. I had a problem in New York. Specifically, I had a problem with the Schmidt's family." She paused and her lips formed into a thin line. "I loaned money from them because I need to put up a business because… That Halmoni of yours kicked me out. I need money, you know and I only have a few left. My business failed and you probably know what happens next.

Well, since Brandon, their son, likes you. I want you to marry him so my debt would be repaid." Her smirk was visible on her face again.

"And what if I don't?" Ga Eul spat. Her hatred towards her mother was increasing by the second.

Her mother laughed and walked over to Jae Hee. "This child's life is in danger then."

As soon as the words came out, Ga Eul growled. She struggled out of the ropes that bind her to the chair. At this moment, she just wants to punch her mother. She doesn't care who she is, she's not acting like her mother so she's not going to act like a good daughter.

"You have no choice, Ga Eul." Her mother merely raised her eyebrow. "Just marry the young lad if you don't want this child to suffer." She patted Jae Hee's head as Jae Hee cried aloud.

J J J J :P

"I didn't know what happened Appa." Yi Jung looked down, still feeling guilty about what happened at the park. He couldn't look at Mr. Chu's eyes. I was his fault that both of his daughters are kidnapped.

Chu Hyun sighed and sat back down on the chair beside Yi Jung's bed. He rushed to the hospital as soon as Yi Jung called him, telling him what happened. He couldn't believe it. Both his daughters are in the hands of the bad guys and he doesn't know what to do. They don't even know who the kidnappers are. He doesn't have a clue.

"It's not your fault Yi Jung." He said softly after a few moments of silence.

"It is… I'm sorry." Yi Jung apologized for the nth time. "If only we stayed at the house, it wouldn't have been like this."

"But still, it would happen if the kidnappers really have some intentions from Ga Eul." He said as-a-matter-of-factly. Yi Jung breathed out a sigh. He's right but who the hell are those kidnappers? What do they want from Ga Eul and Jae Hee? "You're okay, right? How's your wound?"

"To tell you the truth, I don't care about it at all. I only care on what happened to Ga Eul." Yi Jung said in a firm voice.

Chu Hyun let out a soft smile and nodded in understanding. Yi Jung really does love his Ga Eul. He's glad that there's someone here that will never ever attempt to hurt his little girl.

J J J J :P

It's been two days now, the search for Ga Eul and Jae Hee were still going on. The whole gang was not giving up unless they're found.

Yi Jung, with all the forcing he did, finally got discharged from the hospital. He went straight to Ga Eul's mansion.

When he arrived at the place he got used to living in, he slowly walked to the room where he spent so many night gazing at his love's face. He collapsed on the bed and closed his eyes. Where the hell could they be?

After a few more minutes, Yi Jung was slowly drifting off to sleep but his phone suddenly rang. He unwillingly grabbed it and looked at the caller ID. He gasped.

He blinked a few times before he finally had the courage to pick it up.

"Yoboseyo? Ga Eul-yang?" He said in a rushed but gentle tone.

"Yi Jung-ah, can you go to your studio right now?" The sweet melodic voice said from the other line. The longing within him was now gone and was placed with relief. He smiled widely as he felt some tears forcing their way out from his eyes.

"Of course! I'm on my way. Wait right there Ga Eul-yang." He ended the call and practically ran downstairs to the door and hopped in his sports car.

J J J J :P

"Ga Eul-yang!" He stepped out of his car and ran to the girl outside his studio. She was still wearing the clothes she wore since Yi Jung last saw her. She wasn't hurt but he could see her exhausted eyes.

He collected her into his arms and twirled her around. He hugged her tightly feeling her scent up to his nose. Finally, he let go of her and decided to scrutinize her from head to toe. She didn't look like she was harassed. She just looked tired.

She forced a smile to her face but didn't return the hug Yi Jung was giving her. She just wrapped her arms around herself.

"I need to talk to you about something." Ga Eul immediately said. Her voice was strained. Yi Jung could easily see it.

Yi Jung's smile turned into a frown. He looked at her in concern. Something's up. He could tell and this time, he expected for the worse.


	25. Chapter 25

**Disclaimer:** Boys Over Flowers doesn't belong to me. I own no copyrights over them whatsoever. All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

He was holding his 5th shot of tequila. He wasn't going to stop tonight. It's been months since he last drank and it's a shock that he's going to end his record now.

Just a few moments ago was a confrontation he wasn't expecting at all. He was surprised and pained at what she had said. He couldn't believe it. His Ga Eul just broke up with him and she told him that she was… what? Getting married? Like what the hell? Ga Eul had gone missing for two days and then she got back to tell him that she's going to get married? That fast? That was absolutely ridiculous for his part. They were okay two days ago. What happened to her? He just couldn't believe it.

_Flashback J_

"_Here." Yi Jung walked up to her and gave her a cup of tea. He was anxious. Ga Eul looked serious and she looked like she hasn't been sleeping for days. "What do you want to talk about Ga Eul-yang? Is there something wrong?"_

_Ga Eul took the cup of tea from him and took a sip. She wasn't feeling very well at what she was going to tell him. She knew he's going to get hurt at what she's planning to tell him but she had no choice. It's this or someone's life._

"_Yi Jung-ah…" She started seriously. She can't look at him. If she does, she would take all of it back. _

_Yi Jung forced a smile. "Where's Jae Hee?"_

"_I found her parents. I returned her to them." Ga Eul told him."Look Yi Jung-ah, we need to break up."_

_Right then, Yi Jung's world seemed to stop spinning. He can't possibly have heard right. She's breaking up with him? Series of questions came to his mind in an instant. He's confused. He felt a painful hole in his chest. He felt his tears forcing its way down from his eyes. He just stared at her with his jaw hanging open. _

"_What?" That's all Yi Jung could utter at the moment._

"_We need to break up." She said again._

"_What? Why?" Yi Jung asked her. His feet were weakening by the second._

"_I'm getting married tomorrow." Ga Eul gulped and it looked like tears were going to fall from her eyes again._

"_Huh? What?"_

"_Look, Yi Jung-ah. I'm getting married tomorrow. I'm breaking up with you. All of our time together was just a show. Okay?" Ga Eul turned to look at him and her eyes were watery. Her expression was empty. She stood up abruptly from her seat. She quickly walked to the door but Yi Jung held her back with all the strength he could muster._

"_Wait… Ga Eul. What is this?" Yi Jung said roughly, pleading._

"_It's simple Yi Jung. I don't love you anymore." She said firmly, looking down._

_(: End of Flashback_

There's something in her voice when she said those words. It was pleading. Is he just imagining it at that moment? He doesn't know but he couldn't think straight. He just lost her.

But…

Yi Jung sat up straight. He looked at the angel that's displayed in his studio. The one that Ga Eul gave to him. He clutched the ring that was hanging as a pendant on his chest. He found strength and he could think clearly now.

She said she returned Jae Hee to her parents. Then, she knew about her dad? No way…

Yi Jung fished his phone from his pocket. He dialed Chu Hyun's number. He impatiently waited for him to pick it up. After 5 more rings, he did.

"Appa, is Jae Hee with you?" Yi Jung asked him immediately.

"What? No Yi Jung. What are you saying? Did you find her?"

Yi Jung widened his eyes. So it was just a show. Whoever kidnapped them forced Ga Eul to do that.

"I think I might know where they are. I'll call you later." Yi Jung abruptly hang up before he could even reply.

He dialed Woo Bin's number and rushed to his car. He will find out what the hell happened to his Ga Eul.

J J J J :P

Ga Eul looked at her reflection in the mirror. She was already wearing her wedding gown. It was amazing how Brandon can pull a wedding that fast but she doesn't have time to think about how that happened.

She gently traced her long veil with her hands. If she wasn't feeling any negative emotions, she's going to be a beautiful bride but no… She feels empty.

People said a bride should be happy when her dream wedding comes but she's not a normal bride and this wedding wasn't a dream, it was a nightmare.

The wedding was at the church and it was private. No relative and friends of hers was present, only Brandon's and her single relative that was present was the single relative that Ga Eul despises, loathes, and all that big words that can be sum up to a simple words, anger.

She turned to look at Jae Hee who was wearing her flower girl gown. She doesn't look happy. For a three-year old, Jae Hee was smart and she understands that she's going to get in trouble if she defies that horrible witch.

Ga Eul softly smiled and walked up to her. She knelt in front of her. She cupped her cheeks gently and stroke those rosy things with her thumb.

"Everything's going to be alright after this little Jae Hee." She assured her. "Don't worry. I'm always here."

Jae Hee's tears formed and poured down from her eyes. She pouted and jumped to hug Ga Eul. She encircled her little arms behind her neck and cried on her shoulder.

"Shhh." Ga Eul soothed her. She doesn't care if her hair's going to be ruined. She doesn't want this, after all.

She heard the door open. This was it. "Ms, Chu, please get ready. The march is going to start in a minute."

J J J J :P

"Are you ready?" Woo Bin asked his men. All the guys in black suits nodded their heads. Woo Bin grinned at them before he turns around and faces Yi Jung.

Yi Jung looked dangerously serious. He nodded his head once at Woo Bin.

"Any minute now, bro. The wedding's going to start." Woo Bin told him.

"I'm ready."

J J J J :P

Slowly, she walked to the altar. She wasn't smiling. She can't. She could only see the altar and she could only wish for the floor to open up and swallow her. She hoped for a miracle.

Ga Eul's eyes started to form tears but thinking of her mother, she's not going to give her that satisfaction, that she ruined her life.

She was only a few feet from Brandon. She could see how happy he is in contradiction to what she was feeling. She walked and walked and walked. Brandon shifted his position and held his hand up to her…

"Stop!" It was an all too familiar voice. Ga Eul quickly turned her head and there, she saw guys in black stopping Brandon's security from shooting Yi Jung. Woo Bin was one of them too.

"I can't let you get married without me." Yi Jung shouted. "It's either I'm the best man or I'm the groom, choose." He smirked and walked up to her. "Don't dare touch her Brandon…" He said in a dangerous tone.

Of course, when Ga Eul saw Yi Jung, she forgot that Brandon was behind her. She gazed towards his direction and saw that his hands were already in the air but was stopped by Woo Bin. How he got there that fast, Ga Eul doesn't know.

Ga Eul ran up to Yi Jung. He was already spreading out his arms for her. She willingly jumped and hugged him as Yi Jung twirled her around while grinning widely. It was one of the scenes where a girl was being twirled around lovingly by her boyfriend in a field of bright daisies and when the boyfriend puts her down, he will lean down and kiss her and that's what So Yi Jung did.

The kiss was abruptly stopped by a shriek. They turned around to see Han Myung Hee furiously looking at them while holding her gun, ready to shoot them.

"This is not happening… You… You… You're not going to have a happy ending Ga Eul."

A gun shot was heard.

Ga Eul closed her eyes. She thought she's going to die in his arms but she didn't She didn't feel any pain.

When she opened her eyes, she could see people surrounding a body in front of her. She could see Jae Hee crying and wailing. Yi Jung tightened his hold on her because right in front of her, she saw her father leaning over Jae Hwa's body.

Woo Bin's men was too late when they got to Myung Hee. She already pulled the trigger and just when they thought it would be Ga Eul they would be crying for, it was Jae Hwa.


	26. Chapter 26

**Disclaimer:** Boys Over Flowers doesn't belong to me. I own no copyrights over them whatsoever. All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

"Jae Hwa… Please don't die." Ga Eul whispered as she leans her back on the wall. Her tears continued to run down from her eyes as her back slides down on the wall. She silently prayed for Jae Hwa's life. She knows she still loves her no matter how many challenges the both of them faced.

They were all outside the emergency room. Ga Eul, Yi Jung, Jae Hee and Appa Chu were there, hoping the doctors would tell them that Jae Hwa was safe.

"Ga Eul." A voice was heard from beside her. That voice she hasn't heard for years now. She looked up to see Chu Hyun, looking at her with the same pained expression. He sat beside her and slowly, he gently pulls her for a tight embrace. Oh, how she longs for this moment. She badly missed the warmth of her father's embrace. "Ga Eul… I'm sorry."

Those were enough to make Ga Eul's tears run down faster from her eyes. She sniffed and sobbed as she returned her father's hug. She had been waiting to hear those words, just those words so that she could completely forgive her father.

"Appa…" She whispered, barely audible even to her own ears. "I love you, appa."

"I love you too, Ga Eul. I always have, my precious daughter. You will always be my princess. I'm sorry for all the pain I've caused you." He whispered back to her. He gently strokes her soft silky hair before he completely close his eyes to savor the moment he is now sharing with his beloved daughter.

"Jae Hwa would be okay, right appa?" Ga Eul felt like a kid again as she looked up to stare at her father's eyes.

"She's gonna be alright. You know she's a fighter. She can make it through that." Hyun assured her. He tightens his hold on his daughter and settles his chin on top of her head.

They stayed like that for a few minutes before Hyun felt a tap on his shoulder. Ga Eul and Hyun looked to see who it was and both of them eventually smiled. Jae Hee was looking at them with the same doe eyes as her sister. Ga Eul opened her arms, ushering Jae Hee to come near her. Jae Hee slowly walked up to her.

Ga Eul enveloped Jae Hee in her arms, tears still running down from her eyes. The sisters cried silently as their father pulled both of them into a warm hug.

After a long silence among the four, the emergency doors opened, revealing a stressed Ji Hoo. Ga Eul and Hyun immediately stood up, anticipating on whatever news that awaits them. Even Yi Jung who was silently watching the three earlier stood up to hear what Ji Hoo was about to say.

Ji Hoo weakly smiled at them as he took off his mask. "Jae Hwa's fine. With a few days rest, she's gonna be on her feet in no time."

With those words, Ga Eul, Hyun and Yi Jung breathed a sigh of relief. Hyun picked up Jae Hee and twirled her around saying, "Omma's going to be okay, Jae Hee!" With that, Jae Hee giggled and clapped her hands. All of them were all smiles at the news that Ji Hoo just gave them.

Ga Eul laughed as she hugged her father and sister. She felt so relieved, so happy that Jae Hwa's gonna be fine. She loves her, and right now, she knows she's ready to forgive her.

Chu Ga Eul is ready to start a new life with the warmth of her new family.

J J J J :P

So Yi Jung was at his studio. He was working on a pot that he was going to show in his exhibit that will be held a few days from now. It would be a grand exhibit showcasing all the works he has done since he was a little boy. Not just that, all of the works that will be shown are inspired by Ga Eul. Yes. All his works since he was a little boy that was inspired by Ga Eul was going to be shown at that special exhibit. Right now, he was doing it again. He was molding the clay while thinking of his best friend—err.. slash-lover… but something was quite not right at the moment though.

It was three months after the incident with Ga Eul's family. His best friend was living at peace now and he's really thankful for that. He was thankful that he won't see more of Ga Eul's tears from now on. She would be happy and she wouldn't be wearing a mask anymore. Her smiles would be genuine and her face would glow even more when people see her. He's really happy, happy that Ga Eul's happy.

He sighed. No. Not at all. He is not all that happy. He misses her so much. It's been three months since they last saw each other. Yes, since that incident, they haven't been talking lately. He was afraid to call her or even send a message because he had a feeling that she might be mad at him. He had a feeling that she was mad because he didn't tell her that he knew all about his father and Jae Hee. He was being a coward again, he knows that. But what can he do? He didn't want to see Ga Eul frown again, not after she learned to let go of the past.

He wiped the sweat that's forming on his forehead. He continued molding the pot while Ga Eul's face was imprinted on his mind. He was so focused on his work that he was oblivious to the fact that a person was walking to him.

He heard a loud fake cough and it annoyed him very much. He didn't want to be disturbed especially when he's doing his work. He quickly looked up and what he saw made his eye grow wide. He put too much pressure on his pot that it deformed.

"You know, when we were little and you're teaching me pottery, you always told me not to put too much pressure on my wrist." She told him with a little hint of teasing in her voice.

Chu Ga Eul stopped in front of him. She was wearing denim jeans and an orange blouse covered with a white coat. It was simple and totally complemented her womanly figure. She wasn't wearing any make-up and her hair was down showing her lovely curly locks. She looked innocent and her happy eyes were obvious when Yi Jung looked straight into those brown orbs. She still makes his heartbeat faster with her presence, Yi Jung realizes.

Yi Jung quickly withdrew his hands and stopped the pottery wheel from spinning. He was still at shock that Ga Eul's really there, in front of him. He stared at Ga Eul. His mouth closed and opened but he can't seem to utter even her name.

"Hmm…" She hummed and roamed around his studio while Yi Jung's eyes followed her every move. Ga Eul stopped at a certain angel statue that's all too familiar to her. "Yi Jung-ah…" She started. "You know I should be mad at you for not telling me that you know all about everything, from appa to Jae Hwa to Jae Hee."

"I know Ga Eul-yang. I'm sorry. I really am." Yi Jung suddenly blurted out. He frowned as he continued to watch Ga Eul.

Ga Eul simply ignored what he just said. She pretended that she didn't hear him. She gently touched the angel statue. "A gift when we were 18, right?" She asked but didn't look at him. "And that sketch in your room, it's when we were 16, am I right? Those friendship key chains, we have one every year since we were five. And lastly, this ring…" Her hand traveled to the ring that acted as a pendant on her neck. She enclosed it in her fist and finally looked at Yi Jung.

"Ga Eul-yang…" Yi Jung whispered as she started to walk towards him. She stopped a feet away from him. She was looking straight into his eyes and she was giving him her smile, that lovely genuine smile that makes his heart melt.

"I didn't know when yours started. I didn't know when mine did too." At those words, Yi Jung became confused. _When what started? _"But what I do know is that until now, my heart still beats faster when you're around. Like now…" She touches her chest where her heart is located. Yi Jung stared at her, not quite comprehending where this will lead too.

Ga Eul took a step forward and took something from inside her coat. It looked like an old leather book. It gave Yi Jung an impression that it was quite old and had been hidden for several years now. "Here."

Ga Eul held the book out to him which he slowly took. Ga Eul's smile was still plastered on her face while she watched Yi Jung curiously taking the book.

_Eternity_

A silver word was engraved on the book. As Yi Jung looked at it, he had a feeling that he had seen this book somewhere.

"Remember that book Yi Jung? The book I've shown you when we were five. It was given to me by halmoni when I was born." Yi Jung looked up to her, now completely realizing what that book is. He tried to remember what happened that time but he didn't have to because Ga Eul continued the story. "Yi Jung-ah, I've shown you that after halmoni read Cinderella to us. I dreamt of a fairytale ending in my life too and I told you then that in that book, I'm going to put all the memories I will have with my Prince Charming." She giggled softly as she was reminded of all those childish thoughts she had back then. Yi Jung started to open the book. His jaw dropped when he read the words that were written in the first page.

_Unlock your heart, 'cause I'm here._

"Last year, when I got the hold on that book again, I forgot all about that Yi Jung-ah… I was sitting on my bed and unconsciously, I took out my albums and picked out pictures." Yi Jung looked at her again and back at the book. He flipped open the pages of the book slowly as he reminisced all those scenes on the pictures. When he was halfway through the book, he stopped and read the note that was taped on the page.

_Yi Jung, care to share more memories with me?_

Quickly, he looked at Ga Eul. He stared at her with wide eyes and jaw dropped. There, right in front of him, Ga Eul was kneeling and presenting him a paper with a sketch of the two of them and right in the middle was a little figurine of a lock and a key.

"This time, I want to do all the caring and loving you've shown to me all these years." Ga Eul told him, staring into his eyes. "Yi Jung-ah, will you-;"

"Don't dare continue that Ga Eul-yang." Yi Jung quickly cut her off. "That's supposed to be my line." Yi Jung stood up and pulled Ga Eul up.

"Yah! You ruined the moment!" Ga Eul shouted and playfully hit him on the arm.

"Then let's make a new moment." Yi Jung leaned over to her. He was just inches away from Ga Eul's face. This action caused her to blush and hit him again playfully.

"Oh don't ask the question." Ga Eul leaned her face closer. "My answer's yes already." Both of them closed their eyes and she quickly kissed him on the lips.


End file.
